Nancy Drew: 1 The Old Clock at Lilac Inn
by Aurora Mandeville
Summary: Nancy Drew and Helen Corning check in on their friend Emily Crandall after she loses her mom, only to find themselves caught in a whirlwind of mystery, intrigue, and thievery. (Components of the game, Secret of the Old Clock, and the books, Secret of the Old Clock and Mystery of Lilac Inn) (Art by Maddy Moore /livingalivecreator/art/Commission-796705464)
1. Checking In

Helen laughed as Nancy turned the corner. The two were spending a day together as Nancy ran a few errands for her father.

"Did Togo really do that?" said Helen as she finally calmed down her giggles, somewhat.

Nancy was chuckling as she replied, "Oh, yes! You should have seen Hannah's face! She was furious, and rightfully so! I mean, she had just finished mopping when Togo dragged in all that mud!" She paused as she let out another laugh. "But man, oh man, Togo was such a ham! I swear he seemed to stick up his nose at Hannah as she fussed at him!" The two teens burst into laughter again.

"My word, Togo must keep you three on your toes!"

"Oh, you have no idea," said Nancy as she pushed on the brakes, bringing the car to a stop at a red light. "Hannah says he's almost like a toddler at the rate he's going. Hopefully by the time he's two he has matured enough that we don't have to worry about this anymore." The titian-haired girl let out a chuckle. "Though it definitely is good for a good laugh." The light turned green and Nancy returned her foot to the accelerator.

Helen chuckled. "I bet. Who knew such a little dog could have such a big personality?"

Nancy merely grinned. "Well, what did you expect from a Scottish terrier? But you have to admit, he does learn from the best."

"You mean you?" said Helen, a mischievous sparkle in her brown eyes.

Nancy shot her brunette friend a look out of the corner of her eye before quickling returning her attention to the road. But the sparkle in her blue eyes seemed to say Helen hit the nail on the head. "Possibly."

Helen snorted. "Possibly? Really Nancy? He gets the majority of his sass from you! I'm always hearing about Hannah saying that Togo was just like you when you were younger! Of course I can't compare because I haven't spent as much time with Togo as I have with you."

Nancy laughed. "Guess Togo has some growing up to do."

Helen snorted. "And you have to help him mature."

Nancy scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. Hannah seemed to do just fine with me."

"Uh-huh, sure. I'm sure she wouldn't mind the extra help."

"Oh don't worry, I don't leave her all the time without help. I just couldn't yesterday because I was laughing so hard."

Helen chuckled. "After what you told me, I don't blame you. But think of it this way, it'll be good practice for when you get married to a certain pen pal and have kids of your own." She winked.

"Ugh, Helen!" Nancy blushed.

Helen giggled. "Sorry, Nan, but like George said, it's too easy. And you had to get Bess caught up in it too."

Nancy grinned at that. "Not my fault he's got a cute brother."

"But it is your fault that your friend is such a flirt."

"Hey, Bess is just as much as your friend as she is mine."

Helen laughed. "I know, I know. Too bad George isn't here, she'd have something else to say about Bess."

"That she would."

"Lucky them, getting to go the the beach this summer." Helen glanced out the window with a dreamy sigh. "Must be quite a few handsome guys there this time of year."

Nancy laughed. "Oh I'm sure Bess will tell us all about it. George will just tell us about the waves."

Helen chuckled, then let out a gasp. "Lilac Inn!" The quaint bed-and-breakfast came into view . Two tall lilac trees stood at either end of the building while rows of bushes and flowers lined the front of the building.

Nancy began slowing down the car as she looked for the entrance to the parking lot. "Do you want to check up on Emily?"

Helen bit her lip. "I, I don't know. I haven't seen her since the funeral. She didn't want anyone to talk to her."

Nancy put on her blinker. "Maybe because everyone was talking to her the wrong way. Besides, it's been three months. Someone needs to check up on her."

"Oh, but . . ."

Nancy pulled in. "It's a restaurant too, right? It's lunch time, and we should eat. What better excuse than that?"

Helen pursed her lips before letting out a sigh as Nancy parked. "Oh, fine. But if Emily doesn't want to see us at all, we leave immediately."

"After we've had our lunch," said Nancy with finality. She glanced at Helen with sorrow in her eyes. "Besides, I know all too well what it's like losing a mother."

Helen nodded. "Alright, you take the lead. I know I'll mess it up, as always."

Nancy smiled as she grabbed her purse and opened her door. "You don't mess up everything. We're friends, remember?"

Helen chuckled softly as she grabbed her purse. "You're right. Alright, let's do this." The two climbed out of the blue roadster and walked towards the front door. A pretty sign swung in the breeze. Nancy could see the words "Lilac Inn" were etched on it with boughs of lilacs painted around the edge. She led the way into the inn. A woman with stylish red hair was standing near a grand staircase.

She greeted them with a smile. "Hello, welcome to Lilac Inn. Are you looking for room or just lunch?"

Nancy smiled back. "We're here for lunch, and a friend."

The woman glanced at her quizzically. "Friends of Mary Mason?"

"Oh no," said Helen quickly. "Emily Crandall."

The woman's eyes widened. "Friends of Emily?"

"Yes," said Nancy.

"Oh, I'm so glad you've come! I'm at my wit's end! I'm her guardian, Jane Willoughby. Emily's practically holed herself up in her room and, well, here, why don't I show you. Place your order now and I'll send Mary up with it." The woman handed each girl a menu, a piece of paper, and a pen.

"Oh, but, what if Emily doesn't want to see us?" blurted Helen as Nancy perused the menu and wrote down her order.

"I hope she does. She needs to see someone! I think someone she knows would be the best bet, seeing as how we only met once I got wind of her mother's passing."

"Were you and Mrs. Crandall close?" said Nancy while Helen wrote down her order.

"Were we close? But of course! Gloria and I were the best of friends. We did a lot of sewing together, back in the day, but Gloria always had a knack for the culinary arts. I just keep wondering why she didn't let me know she was battling cancer. I would have come out here straight away to spend some time with her, and to meet her little girl. And I had been meaning to come out here quite a bit too, but I kept putting it off." Jane let out a sigh. "I knew I should have come out here. Oh well, what's done is done, and now I have a depressed teen to take care of and an inn to run."

"We'll see what we can do to help Emily, Mrs. Willoughby," said Nancy.

"Oh, just call me Jane, and thank you ever so much. Are your orders ready?" The girls handed Jane the slips of paper. "Wonderful. Mary! Oh, Mary!"

A young woman who looked no more than twenty with her blonde hair pulled back into a bun came around the corner. "Yes Miss Jane?"

"Please take these orders to the chef and deliver them to Emily's room when they're done. These two young ladies are friends of Emily, and I hope they can help her."

"Of course, I hope they can help her too." Mary took the orders and went into the kitchen.

"Please follow me quickly, "said Jane as she started up the grand staircase, "I cannot leave the hostess station for long. We don't have very many people working here, and though we're somewhat busy, we still don't make enough to hire more people." Jane let out a sigh as they reached the landing. "That's at least something I do know."

"Um, Jane?" Jane paused in the hall and looked at Nancy. "Have you, have you had a chance to mourn Mrs. Crandall?"

Jane's lips quivered. "I, I haven't quite found the time."

Nacy let out a sad sigh as she patted Jane's shoulder. "I can't help you today, but, maybe tomorrow I can come and take over looking after the inn so you can grieve."

"I . . . I don't know if you can handle it. I barely can!"

"I can help her," Helen quickly volunteered. She put her arm around Nancy. "We've been friends since kindergarten, we know how to work together quite well."

"Well, I'd like to take you up on your offer, but . . ."

"Jane, if we come across any problems, we'll call you," said Nancy reassuringly.

"Alright, I guess we have a deal," said Jane as she held out her hand. Nancy shook on it. "Come in tomorrow at seven, I can get you acquainted with what you have to do before the restaurant officially opens."

The girls nodded. "Sounds good," said Nancy.

"Now, for Emily," said Jane as she led them to the door at the end of the hall. She knocked on it before opening it slightly and poking her head through the crack. "Emily? Some friends are here to see you." Nancy and Helen didn't hear anything, but Jane opened the door wider and ushered them in. There, curled up on the bed, was Emily Crandall. Her once long hair was now cut short, barely reaching her neck, and her doe eyes were red and brimming with tears. But they widened when she saw who her visitors were.

"Nancy? Helen?" Her voice came out in a croak.

"Emily!" Helen rushed into the room and wrapped Emily up in a hug.

"What, what are you doing here?"

"Listen, I know you're really not interested in seeing us, but, you really can't stay in here forever!" Helen glanced at Nancy before looking back at Emily. "Besides, everyone's worried about you. We haven't heard from you in weeks!"

"And no one bothered to come to the inn to check up on you," muttered Nancy.

"And I've been so swamped I didn't call anyone," said Jane with a sigh as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Don't blame yourself," said Nancy with a reassuring smile as she patted Jane's shoulder. Jane shot her a sad smile, but she still seemed apologetic.

Helen let out a sigh. "What's done is done, we're here now." She turned back to Emily. "Please let us help you get through this." Emily nodded as tears began to fall. Helen seemed to wrap her up in a tighter hug.

Nancy walked over to the bed and placed her hand on Emily's shoulder. "Just tell us what you need."

Emily nodded as she sniffled. "P-please stay, for a little while," she whispered.

Nancy patted Emily's shoulder. "Of course. We ordered lunch."

"Mary should be bringing it up in a few minutes," said Jane. She glanced between Helen and Nancy. "How, how long will you be able to stay?"

Nancy took a quick glance at the clock. "I think we can stay for about an hour. I still have to run a few more errands for my father before we get back home."

"Yes, thank you. I need to get back to the hostess podium. I'll come back up and check on you when it's slow."

Nancy nodded. "Of course."

Jane smiled. "Thank you again." She glanced at Emily with a tear falling down her cheek before closing the door and heading back down the stairs. Nancy and Helen turned to comforting Emily, though the majority of it consisted of them just holding her in silence.

Mary brought up their plates of food, with an extra one for Emily, and left quickly. The three girls ate their food in silence.

"I'm … so … sorry," said Emily between sniffles once they had finished their meal.

Nancy placed her arm around Emily's shoulder and gave it a sympathetic squeeze. "There's nothing to be sorry about," she said calmly, "you've lost your mother. You need enough time to grieve."

"And we're here for you, "said Helen, "we've always been here for you. Always remember that." Emily nodded with a sniffle before lowering her head down on Helen's shoulder. Nancy and Helen ended up staying for a little more than an hour, but when they left, Emily was sound asleep.

Nancy quietly and quickly gathered the dishes while Helen tucked Emily into her bed. She grabbed their purses and followed Nancy out of the room, closing the door quietly behind them. Jane nearly tackled them with hugs when they reached the bottom of the stairs and told her Emily was sound asleep.

"I can't thank you enough for what you're doing for us," said Jane as she took the pile of dirty dishes from Nancy.

"Thank us when you're finally back on your feet," said Nancy with a smile. "But I'm afraid we really must go now, we stayed a little too late. But we'll see you tomorrow at seven."

"Sounds wonderful, even though I really wish I didn't have to put this on your shoulders."

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. See you tomorrow!" Nancy and Helen waved to Jane as they quickly dashed out the door.

"See you tomorrow!" Jane's voice followed them out.

The girls quickly left the inn and finished the errands that Mr. Drew asked Nancy to do, which was dropping off some papers with some clients and picking up others. The rest of the ride had been silent, each girl just about lost in her own thoughts.

Nancy dropped Helen off at her home with a simple "See you tomorrow," before heading back home. She parked her car in the garage and sat there for a minute, letting the emotions of the day wash over her. She had the distinct sense of deja vu, it almost was like losing her own mother all over again. Tears began to fall, and Nancy let them fall. It had been six years since her own mother passed, the first two of which seemed long and agonizing. George, Bess, and Helen did the best they could, with the help of their mothers, to help Nancy and her father through that time. But ultimately it had been Hannah Gruen, the woman who used to be just the weekly maid, who really came through for them. She practically moved in and became like a second mother to Nancy. The rumors were still wondering when Mr. Drew was going to marry her. As such, everyone kept calling her Mrs. Gruen, even though she wasn't married.

"Why Nancy!" Hannah's head appeared at Nancy's window. "What's wrong? Why have you been crying?"

Nancy took a tissue from her purse and dapped at her eyes before she blew her nose into the tissue. "Um, Helen and I, we, uh, visited Emily Crandall. I was just thinking about Mom." Nancy opened her door and stepped out, practically into Hannah's loving embrace. Hannah held her close. "It still hurts."

"Of course it does, darling, it really hasn't been that long since you lost her." Nancy nodded, sniffling. "Now, come on, I've been waiting eagerly for you to get home. I have an important message waiting for you."

"What's that?" asked Nancy as she dried her eyes.

"Your pen pals called. Really Nancy, how come you haven't given your cell number to your pen pals yet?"

"It just feels weird for a pen pal to become a phone pal," said Nancy with a slight chuckle. "Besides, which pen pals called?"

"Oh and they said you needed to call them back right away!" said Hannah as she led the way back into the the house.

Nancy quickly followed Hannah into the house. "Hannah! Who called?"

Hannah turned towards her with a hint of worry in her eyes. "The Hardy boys, and they said it was urgent!"


	2. The Hardy Boys

Nancy rushed up the stairs and into her room, almost slamming the door behind her. She tossed her purse onto her bed and practically lunged for the phone on her desk, or the Pal Phone, as she used to call it, used only for her pen pals. She knew the number by heart now and quickly dialed it. The phone rang. While she waited for them to pick up the phone, she opened the top drawer and pulled out a few photos that Mrs. Hardy had sent to them over the years. The majority of them were Christmas cards, but there were a couple that Mrs. Hardy had managed to capture of the boys doing their own thing, dark-haired Frank with his books and blond Joe with his sports. Nancy liked looking at the pictures as they talked, she could almost imagine them talking to her in person.

Nancy blinked when no one picked up after the fifth ring. Had they gone out, not knowing what time she would be in, or had they stayed out longer than they had originally planned? Or was there another reason? If they hadn't picked up by the tenth ring, Nancy would hang up. She did wonder why they never set up an answering machine for their line. Sometimes Mrs. Hardy would pick it up, just like Hannah would pick up her phone at times. Nancy glanced at the clock, starting to think she should hang up. It was five o'clock her time, meaning it was six their time, dinner time. Sometimes dinner would be later, but since she was nearing the tenth ring, she figured they had to be sitting down to dinner.

"Hello? Who is this? What do you want?" came a voice on the other line, startling Nancy.

"Oh, um, hello! I'm Nancy Drew. May I speak to Frank and Joe?"

"Oh," said the voice, much nicer this time, "you're that pen pal of theirs. Well, I hope you have a lick of sense, because . . ."

"Aunt Trudy!" Frank's voice could be heard in the background. "Chet thinks your pie is about to burn!"

"Oh no!" Aunt Trudy's footsteps seemed to echo off into the distance.

"Hey Nance, sorry about that. We just got in."

"Where did you go?"

"We went to Chet's for a party, but we rushed back as soon as we could."

"Oh, I'm sorry to have been the reason for cutting your party short."

"Oh don't be, we did tell Hannah it was urgent. We just forgot that we were invited to the party, so we went for a little while."

"That's good to hear, I guess." Nancy let out a little sniffle.

"Hey, are you alright? I know Aunt Trudy can sound mean, but she's got a heart of gold."

Nancy let out a laugh. "Oh no, this has nothing to do with your aunt. But thank you for that, that did make me feel better."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Hey! Don't hog Nancy!" came Joe's voice over the line. Nancy could tell the difference on the line, they were using the speaker phone.

"Joe! I was trying to find out why she's upset!"

"Oh? Why are you upset?"

"I just asked her that, and you interrupted her."

"Oh, sorry."

Nancy chuckled. "It's OK, guys." She told them about Emily Crandall.

"Oh man, that's, that's harsh," said Joe.

"And you thought about your mom, didn't you," said Frank softly.

Nancy sniffled as a tear fell down her cheek. "You know me way too well."

"Yeah, we just have that natural talent of getting people to talk to us."

"Good grief, Joe, she just told us about this Emily losing her mom. Can you at least give her a minute?"

"But I think telling her will help lift her mood!"

"Oh, it definitely will. Just give her a moment to collect herself."

"You guys also have this natural talent at getting me so curious I could burst. So spill it," said Nancy.

Frank sighed. "Alright, alright … ugh, fine Joe, you can tell her. Just stop bouncing so much."

"We solved our first mystery!"

"You did what?"

"We did, we solved our first mystery!" said Joe, his voice nearly becoming shrill with excitement. "We actually started by helping dad out, but then he let us take care of it on our own, and we solved it!"

"Dad was as proud as a peacock," said Frank with a chuckle.

"That's awesome!" said Nancy. "Congratulations you two! Are you all set to open Hardy and Sons?"

Frank laughed. "We wish, but dad's not quite ready for us to join him just yet."

"More like he wants us to focus on school first, then mysteries," said Joe.

"He has no problem with us solving mysteries in our free time," began Frank.

"Which we'll have plenty of this summer."

"But school should be our first priority."

"Even college."

"Especially college. Dad really wants us to have our degrees before we officially open."

"Even though by the time that happens, we should have enough experience under our belt that will help us fly through those classes."

"Hopefully."

"Yeah, hopefully."

"Sounds like a plan," said Nancy, "there's just one thing."

"Yeah?" chorused the boys.

"What mystery did you solve?"

"Oh right!" The boys took turns telling her about how they helped a friend's father clear his name, how they caught the real culprit, and how they found the treasure only just the day before.

"That's awesome!" said Nancy, excitement evident in her voice when the boys finished their story.

Joe laughed. "Told you it would cheer her up."

"Oh I knew that," said Frank, annoyed.

Nancy laughed. "Well, it definitely worked, and I thank you for it. I feel like I can run an inn for a month!"

"Great! You'd better have more than just an angry customer to tell us about the next time we call."

"Joe! For crying out loud, she has all summer!"

"I know, but so do we."

Nancy chuckled. "Come on you guys. You don't know if there's a mystery waiting for me just around the corner."

"Well, neither do you, and you'd have to get off the phone to check."

"Joe!" Nancy heard a distinct whack right as she burst out laughing.

"Frank! Come on! She thought it was funny! And admit it, you thought so too."

"Well . . ."

"Ugh," blurted Joe, "you hear what I have to deal with, Nance? You're the only one who gets me."

"I get you way better than she does, because I know how you are. I have to live with you, after all."

"Yeah, maybe we should switch things up, you can become a Drew for a while, and Nancy can become a Hardy."

"What?" said Frank as Nancy chuckled. She was glad they couldn't see her because she knew she was turning beet red.

"That might have to wait a while, I still have a classmate to take care of, and it would be odd for Bess and George to come home and found out Frank is here instead of me, though, I'm sure Bess wouldn't mind too much."

"I'm sure she wouldn't," mumbled Frank.

"But you would," said Joe. "So maybe I should become the Drew and I can hang out with Nancy's friends."

"Sure you would."

Nancy chuckled, though she was getting redder. Her and Frank getting to spend time together? It would practically be a dream come true. "Again, Bess would have no problem with that."

"Precisely." Nancy could hear the grin in Joe's voice, and it made her laugh.

"That might end up being the best scenario," said Nancy.

"What?" blurted Frank.

"Don't worry, I'll have George keep an eye on them. She's gotten pretty good at it with handling Bess and Helen."

"But adding Joe to the mix? She might jump ship and join us!"

Nancy laughed. "Well, you could give her a few pointers before he gets here, you know."

Frank sighed. "Yeah, I guess. It'll just be weird with him being so far away and without me having his back."

"Aw, you'll miss me!"

"No, you wouldn't know what to do without me."

"Thanks Nance, I knew I could count on you to get my brother to fess up that he would miss me if I ever left."

"Joe! Don't you dare start!"

"Hey you two, are you going to let your aunt's delicious pie go to waste? Oh, and hi Nancy!"

Nancy chuckled. "Hi Chet!"

"Did they already tell you?"

"That they solved their first mystery?"

"Yeah!" There was a slight pause. "And though I'm going to regret this, but, they can count on me to help, sometimes."

"What? Not all the time?" said Joe.

"With as much trouble as you guys got into in just your first mystery? Yeah, I'd like to avoid that trouble as much as possible."

"We'll try to keep you out of it as much as possible," said Frank. "At least the trouble part. We might need your help on other things."

"Like what?"

"Like calling the police, for one," said Joe.

"Oh yeah," said Chet, "that I can do."

"See? We still need help like that."

"Right! OK then, I'll help with the less troublesome stuff."

"That's the spirit!" cheered Joe.

"And you never know when we might need your hobbies," said Frank. "With as many as you go through, you should know something that may help in later cases."

"OK, yeah, I can help there too. As long as I'm not being chased by guys with guns or nearly get run over, or have anything of mine stolen again, we'll be good."

Nancy heard Frank patting Chet's back. "Well, we can't control the getting your stuff stolen part, but we can try to make sure you don't get shot at or nearly get run over."

"I mean, what kind of friends are we, nearly getting our best friends killed?" quipped Joe.

"The detective kind," mumbled Chet.

"Well, what other kind can we be?" said Joe.

"The good kind, I hope," said Frank.

Nancy chuckled. "I certainly think you are the good kind."

"Aw, thanks Nance."

"Careful Nance," said Frank, "his ego has already been stroked. No need to stroke it anymore."

"What do you mean by that?" blurted Joe as Chet burst out laughing.

"That you have a tendency of getting worse the more you show off," said Frank matter-of-factly.

"That is definitely true," said Chet, between chuckles.

Nancy snickered. "I don't doubt it."

"Hey!" blurted Joe. Frank joined Chet and Nancy in laughing.

"Are you three going to let my pie go to waste, or what?" came Aunt Trudy's voice. "I'd send you a piece of my pie, Nancy dear, but I'm afraid it will get all ruined by the time it gets to you."

"Why thank you, Miss Hardy, that's really sweet of you."

"Oh, just call me Aunt Trudy, dear, everybody does."

"Except Jack," mumbled Joe.

There was a moment's silence before Aunt Trudy spoke. "What did you just say?"

"It's true! We all know Jack likes you and that you like him back!"

There was a sharp intake of air. Nancy clamped a hand over her mouth, Aunt Trudy and Mr. Hardy's pilot friend Jack Wayne were secretly in love? "Joseph Fenton Hardy!" Nancy's eyes widened as Aunt Trudy used Joe's middle name. They didn't want to be found out!

"Joe!" hissed Frank.

"Franklin Walter Hardy, did you put your brother up to this?"

"No ma'am! He wasn't supposed to say a thing!" There was a moment of silence as Nancy could almost feel the glares coming through the phone.

"Um, Aunt Trudy?"

"Yes, Chet dear?" Joe groaned. "Not another sound out of you, Joseph Fenton Hardy, not until your parents get home, understand?"

"Should we let Nancy go? It's getting close to supper time for her."

"You are absolutely right, Chet. Nancy dear, I'm going to end the phone call now, if you don't mind."

Nancy chuckled nervously. "It's fine. I think we've said all we needed to. Um, talk to you guys later?"

"Call us if there is a mystery right around the corner," said Joe.

"But at the rate this is going," muttered Frank, "it might be best to call us once you've solved it."

"Or if you need any help. Dad's got this library . . ."

"Joe," said Frank and Aunt Trudy at the same time.

"Alright, alright, alright. Talk to you later Nance."

"We're always here for you," said Frank.

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

"Now go solve a mystery!" said Joe.

"And be careful!" said Chet.

Nancy chuckled. "I will! Bye!"

"Bye!" they chorused. Nancy heard them hang up right before she hung up. She let out a peal of laughter. Well, that was one wild ride. Not only had the Hardys solved the mystery of the Applegate treasure, they had also found out their father's friend was secretly romancing Aunt Trudy!

"Nancy! Dinner's ready!"

Nancy calmed herself down long enough to reply. "Coming!" She let out another chuckle before heading towards the dining room. Yes, she felt like she could take care of the inn for a whole month, she just hoped the feeling would last that long. Well, there was only one way to find out.


	3. Running Lilac Inn

Nancy got up bright and early to take a quick shower. She donned her nicest suit. It was a soft yellow, almost cream-colored, skirt and jacket with lace trim. Nancy wore a pair of cream pumps and a cream and blue floral-print blouse. She patted it with a wistful huff. It used to be her mother's, along with the pearl jewelry that Nancy put on. She put her hair up in a fancy hairdo, and finished the touch with some makeup. When she was satisfied with the finished result, she descended the stairs to join her father and Hannah at breakfast. Carson let out a shaky gasp when his daughter entered the room.

He rose to greet her with a tight, loving hug. "Oh, you look, you look so much like your mother."

"Why are you wearing this?" queried Hannah, seemingly ready at a moment's notice to take action, if needed.

Nancy smiled wistfully. "I, well, since I'm going to be helping Emily, I, I wanted Mom with me, in some way."

Carson beamed. "I think you look fantastic, and I think your mother would be proud of you."

Nancy beamed as she gave him a big hug. "Thanks Dad."

"Well, now, let's get those tummies full for a day's work," suggested Hannah, patting at the table.

"You're right," said Carson as he led his daughter to the table. They sat down, said grace, and quickly ate their breakfast. Half an hour later, Nancy was picking up Helen and driving towards Lilac Inn. The two barely spoke more than a few words about what to expect at the inn, both anxious and hoping that the day would go well. They arrived at the inn a few minutes before seven. They took a look at each other, gave each other reassuring looks, and walked towards the door. The door was opened by Jane Willoughby, who promptly gave each girl a hug.

"Thank you, thank you so much for doing this for me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it," said Jane as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Wow, you two look so professional! And such cheery colors."

"Thank you. We wanted to cheer up the place a bit. It doesn't do well that a lovely place such as Lilac Inn should be anything but cheery," said Nancy as the two enter the building.

"Yes, well, considering what happened recently . . ."

Nancy placed a hand on Jane's shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "I know, I understand. All too well. Why don't you show us the ropes?"

"OK. Oh, and I'm going to take Emily with me, she desperately needs to get out of her room."

Nancy nodded. "Good idea."

"So, um, what do we need to do?" asked Helen. Jane showed them around, showing them how to open, where the menus were, what to say when a customer arrived, how to coordinate the servers, what to do in case of an emergency, where to find all the information that they needed in case they forgot, and finally, how to close it.

"Wow," said Helen, looking a little dazed from the info dump. "That's a lot to remember."

Jane smiled apologetically. "Yes, I know. I mean, if you want, you can change your mind."

Nancy shook her head firmly. "No, we can handle it. I'll handle the hostess duties if Helen wants, and she can help the servers."

"Are you sure?" said Helen. "I think I just need to do it before I can get the hang of it."

"Well then, maybe you'll have gotten the hang of it by the time I need a break," said Nancy with a grin.

Helen grinned back. "I certainly hope so. No good letting you work yourself to death."

"Again, if anything happens, you have any questions, or you find out that it is too much for you, call me at once."

Helen and Nancy nodded as they chorused, "We will!"

"Thank you." Jane let out a huff. "Now time to pry Emily from her room."

"Good luck," chorused the girls as Jane went up the stairs.

A few minutes later, as Nancy and Helen were getting Lilac Inn ready to open, Jane and Emily came down the stairs. Emily was wearing a black sundress with a purple, green, and black floral-patterned shawl that she was gripping tightly. Her eyes were red.

"Emily?" Helen rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her. "Are you going to be alright?"

Emily sniffled, but she gave a brave smile. "I think so, I certainly hope so."

"Well, take this time to reminisce about your mother, all the good times," said Nancy as she came forward to hug Emily. She turned and hugged Jane. "I'm sure the both of you will feel better for it."

"Oh, I certainly hope so," said Jane as she returned the hug warmly. As she stepped back from the hug, she wiped a tear from her eye. "It certainly will help me connect with Emily better." She smiled as she rubbed Emily's arm reassuringly. Emily smiled back.

"You're right. I haven't been a very good hostess."

"Oh, but darling, who can blame you? Your mother dies, and in comes a woman from your mother's past whom you've never met, plus caring for the inn and your mother's explicit wish that you finish high school? It's a lot for a girl your age to handle." Jane patted her shoulder. "Besides, what's done is done. We can only move forward from here."

Nancy smiled at them. "Jane's right, you know."

"Based on your experience, Nancy, is there any advice you could give us?"

Helen was about to answer when Nancy spoke. "Well, um, it won't be easy. Take it one step at a time. And, and no matter what anyone else says, no, no the grief won't ever go away, fully. One day, you see something, or hear something that will remind you so, so much of your mom that you will have no choice but to break down and cry. Best thing to do is let it all out. Alone, even, if you have to, or want to. But, it's usually best to have someone you know, someone who cares about you, just holding you. Nothing needs to be said, you just need to get the tears out." Nancy wiped a few tears from her eyes. "Well, that, that's all I can think of."

Emily sniffled as she hugged Nancy. "Thank you, it's more than I had hoped."

Nancy returned the hug with a tight squeeze. "You're welcome. Now, you two shouldn't waste any more time. Lilac Inn is going to open in a few minutes. Don't need you two hanging around, watching us like mother hens."

Emily chuckled. "I guess not."

Jane laughed. "You're right Nancy. Let's get going and let these two prove just how capable they are at running an inn."

"Have a good trip," said Helen, sending them off with a wave.

"Thank you! Hope the customers are cooperative today!" said Jane as the two were walking out the door.

"Good luck!" said Emily with a wave before they exited the building.

"Thanks!" called out Nancy and Helen before turning back to finishing preparations for opening.

The breakfast and brunch crowds were pretty cheerful, especially once they had their coffee. But they were a pretty easy crowd to please. Many knew about Nancy at least, thanks to many knowing of her father's work, or have at least consulted him in the past. As soon as they found out why Nancy and Helen were there, many offered to help in any way they could, most of those ended up in larger tips than usual. At least, according to Mary Mason. She sought them out during a slow period between brunch and lunch.

"I haven't seen this much money before!" whispered Mary as Nancy closed out another customer.

"Really?" whispered Helen.

Mary nodded. "Maybe we should have mentioned how bad we were doing earlier, but none of us wanted to seem like we were begging."

Nancy nodded. "That's understandable. However, I don't think this good luck will last very long."

Mary blinked. "What makes you say that?"

Helen glanced at the front door and gasped. "Oh no."

Mary blinked as two families walked in. She brightened at the sight of the first family. It was of a man in his forties with greying brown hair and his lovely, brunette daughter. The second family was a couple also in their forties with greying hair, the woman had black hair and the father had auburn, and their black-haired daughter.

The two daughters blinked as they said in unison, "Nancy Drew?"

Nancy managed to give a smile. "Hello Mr. Topham, Isabella, Deirdre, Mr. and Mrs. Shannon, to Lilac Inn."

Deirdre burst out laughing. "Nancy Drew, what happened to your father that made you stoop so low to be working here?"

"Nancy and I are covering for Mrs. Willoughby and Emily so they can have a break," said Helen firmly. "Would you like to be seated, or would you like to leave?"

Mr. Topham's face seemed to harden.

Isabella humphed. "Father and I have been coming here for quite a while now. Hello Mary."

"Hello Mr. Topham, Isabella. Why don't you follow me and I'll get you seated."

Mr. Topham's face seemed to relax a bit. "Why hello Mary, thank you ever so much." Mary led the Tophams into the dining area.

"Nancy, won't you be a dear and get us seated too?" said Mrs. Shannon, her voice becoming sickly sweet as she flashed a smile that told Nancy she was enjoying this. Mr. Shannon seemed to gloat at the prospect.

Nancy could only smile back, though she kept herself from gritting her teeth as she did so. "Of course Mrs. Shannon, this way." With the smile plastered on her face, she led the Shannons to a table. As they sat down, Nancy handed them the menus.

"Oh Dylan, whatever should I get?"

"Whatever you want, Molly, I don't quite know what I want yet." Mr. Shannon turned to Deirdre. "Have you made a decision yet, my little princess?"

Deirdre giggled. "Oh no, daddy, I have no idea yet."

"Well, when you're ready with your order," began Nancy.

"Oh, I'll have the Lilac Blossom Special!"

Nancy opened her notebook to start writing down the order.

"Oh no dear, you shouldn't have that. It won't do your figure any good."

Deirdre giggled. "You're right, mother. Well, I am at a loss again."

"Well," Nancy began again, only this time to be interrupted by Mr. Shannon.

"Well what on earth is up with these names? Rose of Sharon Omelete, Sweet Alyssum Pancakes, what kind of nonsense is this? I didn't come to a garden!"

Nancy clenched her fist, but managed to keep her cool. "Well, Mr. Shannon, if you have a problem with the way Mrs. Crandall put together her menu, then you've come to the wrong place. Now, if you don't mind, I must be getting back to my post. I am not a waitress. But I'm sure one will be available when you're ready to place your order. Good to see you. Good day." With that, Nancy walked away. She thought she heard something of an applause, but she didn't turn to look, she just knew that if she didn't make it back to the front desk, she was going to lose it. Years of being tormented by Deirdre over the fact that Mrs. Shannon was still alive and not Mrs. Drew had wounded her deeply, and everytime she and Deirdre ran into each other, those wounds seemed to get reopened. She had made it to the front desk and gripped the ledge hard, trying to calm herself down away from hysterics, or at least crying. Helen watched her with concern. Nancy placed her head on the desk and took in several breaths while Helen rubbed her back.

"Why did they have to come today?" she mumbled.

Helen hugged her tightly. "Don't worry, in a few minutes, they'll have gone. You'll just have to wait. I don't like seeing them here any more than you do."

Nancy sighed as she lifted her head from the desk and nodded. "You're right, and we are doing this for Emily and Jane." She paused as she glanced at the photo of Gloria Crandall sitting on the desk. "I just hope she doesn't have to deal with Deirdre's cruelty like I had to."

Helen patted her shoulder. "We'll do our best to shield her from it."

Nancy nodded and turned her attention to keeping the inn running smoothly. The Shannons finally did leave, and when they did, the atmosphere seemed to get better. Mostly though, Mary seemed cold to them for a while, until the Tophams returned for dinner. Nancy and Helen had a chance to get to know them better, and found out that they weren't as bad as they had thought, though Nancy did think they were a bit odd. The Shannons had only roped them into being their friends since just about everyone else wasn't going to go with their outright distaste for the Drews. Emily and Jane returned from their day out and joined the Tophams' table, Nancy noticing with elation that the two looked much better. She also couldn't help but notice Jane and Mr. Topham flirting with each other. Nancy smiled wistfully, maybe Jane would marry Mr. Topham and they could adopt Emily. It would be a fairly good scenario. Isabella seemed to like Jane and Emily rather well.

Soon, it was time to close. Everyone except Nancy, Helen, and Mary left Lilac Inn. Jane and Emily insisted that they felt well enough to help close things down and refused to take no for an answer. They were elated when they saw how much money they made that day. Eventually, Mary told them the whole story of what transpired between Nancy and the Shannons.

"They said what?" blurted Jane, her eyes nearly bulging with horror and rage. "Why would they say such things?"

"Because they always take a jab at whatever my father and I do, or who we're friends with. Mr. Shannon hasn't liked my father since he lost a case to him and, well, obviously that dislike has spread to his wife and their daughter," explained Nancy with a sigh. "I'm so sorry about it."

Jane took her hands in hers. "Dear Nancy, you did the best you could with an obviously troublesome family. I could never blame you."

"But I do hope it doesn't change anything for us," said Mary.

Jane shot her a look. "I highly doubt it will. If more than half the town stands with the Drews when it comes to the feud, it could in fact bode well for us." She turned back to Nancy with a gleam in her eye. "You never know if they try to say something mean about Lilac Inn, and people will come try it out and see if it's really as wonderful as the Drews are."

Nancy smiled warmly. "Why thank you Jane, that means a lot."

"Not at all, you've proven yourself to be absolutely wonderful."

Emily yawned. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Goodness child, no need to be. It's late, and you've had a long day. Nancy dear, could you take Emily to her room for me please? I need to lock up this money, and I need Helen and Mary to finish mopping."

Nancy smiled. "Of course! Come on Emily, let's get you to your room before you pass out."

Emily smiled and chuckled softly as she let Nancy lead her up the stairs, trying to hide her own yawns. With Nancy's help, she got ready for bed.

"Nancy, do you still like mysteries?"

Nancy chuckled softly. "Of course!" She gasped as Emily grabbed her shoulders. "Emily!"

"Sh, please! I don't know who else I can turn to but you, Nancy. Will you please help me?" said Emily in a very low voice.

"W-well, of course. What is it Emily?"

"I have a mystery that needs to be solved, and I don't trust Jane Willoughby!"


	4. Emily's Mystery

"Wait, she said that?" Joe asked incredulously.

"Yes!" blurted Nancy, a hint of panic to her voice. She had called the Hardys immediately after supper and told them about the whole day, even the part with Deirdre, knowing they would understand with the unwanted rivalry between them and the Mason brothers. "And I know I've told everyone that I like solving a good mystery, but, now that I have one, I'm, I'm not sure."

"What's this I hear?" came Frank's calming voice over the line. "Nancy Drew unsure that she can solve a mystery?"

"Yes Frank, I'm unsure. I don't have the advantage of having a detective for a father."

"That hasn't stopped you before."

Nancy pursed her lips, knowing what he meant. Despite her mother's death, Nancy had solved a few of what they termed as mere schoolyard mysteries. Nothing as big as finding a stolen treasure and dealing with real criminals. "Well, yeah, but . . ."

"Nance, you don't even know the particulars of the case!" blurted Joe.

"Listen, Nance, should I get my dad? You know he'll just tell you that you have a mind that could rival ours and his again."

Nancy chuckled, Fenton Hardy definitely would. "You're right. I don't know what I was thinking."

"I think I can take a guess," said Frank. "Deirdre always throws you off. You're going to have to learn how to deal with that."

"Like you guys and the Masons?"

Frank sighed. "Worse."

"What?" said Joe. Nancy bit her lip, she understood what he was trying to say.

"Joe, she has the added problem of Deirdre rubbing in her face that Mrs. Shannon is still alive . . ."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that."

"Well, any tips?"

"Besides the already several attempts at ignoring her?" said Joe.

"You haven't tried a competition yet, have you?"

"No, there hasn't exactly been one that wouldn't require a, well, a mother's assistance or involves a mother's attention."

"Yeah, well, now that you're older, finding a competition that would suit you will be much easier."

"Yeah, well, right now with Emily's situation, I don't think it's a feasible idea. It is summer after all, and they might, hopefully, leave for the beach, or something."

"But are you really going to take that chance?"

Nancy sighed. "It's one I'm going to have to take. Right now Emily needs me, and I'm not going to let her down."

"Good, keep that in mind and you'll do wonderfully."

Nancy blushed. "Oh, uh, thanks Frank."

"No problem."

"Now hurry up and get to bed so you can start on your mystery tomorrow!" said Joe, followed by a whoop.

Nancy laughed. "Alright, alright, I'm going. Good night, and thanks for everything."

"No problem. That's what friends are for."

"Oh good grief, we're going to be here all night. Good night!" Joe hung up the phone as Nancy burst out laughing. She hung up her phone and went to bed, now more eager than ever to find out exactly what Emily's mystery was.

Nancy's alarm woke her up at six o'clock sharp. She rubbed her eyes as she tried to hit the snooze button. She eventually succeeded in turning off the alarm and nearly dropping her phone on poor Togo in the process. She did end up hitting him with her arm. He yelped and eyed her before snuggling back into his bed.

"Sorry Togo," she whispered with a grimace. She made sure she got out on the other side of the bed, so as not to disturb Togo any further. She dressed in casual wear, a jean skirt, a floral-print blouse, and a pair of black pumps. She pinned her hair back with a pair of barrettes before putting on mascara and lipstick. She grabbed her purse and rushed down the stairs, where Hannah already had a plate of eggs and pancakes waiting for her. Nancy sat down, buttered her pancakes, and drizzled some syrup on top.

"Now where are you going?" Hannah asked as she joined Nancy at the table.

"Helen and I are taking Emily out for a trip to the mall," said Nancy before taking her first bite of food.

Hannah rolled her eyes. "You said that last night, and then sat up for a hour on the phone with the Hardys."

"What? I needed their advice."

"What advice could they give you that your father and I aren't capable of giving?"

"Advice on solving mysteries," said Nancy as a slight red came into her cheeks before taking another bite.

"Emily has a mystery?" asked Hannah.

Nancy nodded as she swallowed her food. "I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do it."

"Oh honey, you know you can," said Hannah as she patted Nancy's hand.

"I know, it's just . . . it got me thinking about solving Mom's mystery," whispered Nancy.

"Don't worry about it, just focus on helping Emily. We'll handle that when the day comes. Now, stop thinking and focus on eating, especially if you're planning on picking up Emily at nine."

Nancy grinned. "Yes ma'am." She ate her breakfast as quickly as possible before dashing into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She rushed back down the stairs and bid Hannah goodbye with a kiss on her cheek before dashing out to her car. A few minutes later, Helen was climbing into the car, and the two were heading up to Lilac Inn. Helen chatted away about how she was going to take Emily through all the shops, but Nancy only paid partial attention. She was focused on the road, and her mind was racing, trying to figure out why Emily didn't trust Jane Willoughby. Had Jane said something or did something, for Emily to question her honesty? Or was it just because Emily hadn't known Jane that long?

Helen let out a squeal as they pulled into the parking lot of Lilac Inn. "Look, there's Emily!" Their friend was waiting for them out in the courtyard. She waved to them, and Helen waved back while Nancy parked. Helen was out of the car in a flash and dashed towards Emily, wrapping her up in a hug. "Oh, Emily! You look so much better!"

Emily chuckled. "I feel so much better!"

"That's good to hear," said Nancy as she hugged Emily.

"Well, considering how well you two ran the inn yesterday," said Jane as she stepped out into the front, "I think this outing will raise Emily's spirits tenfold. At least, I hope, anyway."

Nancy chuckled. "That's a tall order, Jane, but we shall certainly try."

Jane smiled. "I'm sure you'll do your very best, and that's the most I could ask for. Now you three go have some fun!"

Helen saluted her. "Yes ma'am!"

"There's plenty to be found at the mall!" said Nancy with a chuckle.

Emily chuckled nervously. "Yeah, um, shouldn't we be going?"

"Of course! Come on," said Nancy as she led the way to the car.

"We'll have her back to you in one piece, and happier than ever!" Helen shouted to Jane.

Jane laughed. "I hope so! Have fun!"

"Bye!" the girls chorused, waving to Jane as they left Lilac Inn. As soon as they hit the road, Emily turned comber.

"Why'd you tell her where we were going?"

"If she truly is untrustworthy, someone might be following us. And I have a hunch I know who." Nancy snuck a glance at Emily in the rearview mirror and smiled. "Besides, we're not going to be at the mall the whole day."

Emily gasped. "We're not?"

Helen turned in her seat and grinned at Emily. "Oh no, we're not. We talked about it when we left Lilac Inn yesterday. We'll be going to a mom-and-pop restaurant for lunch, and then we'll be hitting some of the thrift stores around town. I aim to get at least one new thing for you."

Emily teared up. "You guys are the best."

"Don't thank us until your mystery is solved," said Nancy. "Speaking of, could you tell me about it now?"

Emily let out a sigh. "Actually, I think I have two mysteries for you, unless they are connected and are in fact on mystery."

"Two?" said Helen and Nancy.

Emily nodded. "Yes, the first mystery, the one I really want you to solve, is to find the missing will of Josiah Crowley."

Helen gasped. "It still hasn't been found?"

Emily shook her head. "The Tophams have been all over his estate several times over and couldn't find a thing."

"Wait, what do the Tophams have to do with this?" asked Nancy.

"They're his closest relatives and are rumored to inherit everything," explained Emily. "But from the way Josiah often spoke about it with my mother and me, he made it sound like we were going to get a part of that inheritance."

"And you're afraid that the Tophams might find it first and make changes?" asked Nancy.

Emily nodded. "Or produce a fake one if they get too impatient."

"So, what do you want me to do?" asked Nancy.

"Look for the will. Josiah loved giving out riddles, clues, and treasure hunts. You're the only person I know of who could probably figure out his clues." Emily glanced down sheepishly. "I could never finish his treasure hunts, I was too slow."

"You may be slow, but you retain everything you've learned," said Nancy with a hint of awe in her voice. "That's better than some people." She shot Emily a grin in the rearview mirror.

Emily blushed a little. "Thanks Nancy."

"No problem!" Nancy turned her attention to finding a parking spot. They finally found one and Nancy quickly parked in the spot. She turned off the engine and turned in her seat to face Emily. "Now, for the most important question."

Emily blinked in confusion. "What's that?"

"Do you have the first clue to finding Josiah's will?"

"I think so. He always told us that time will tell when it came to finding his will. I think the first clue is in that old clock he gave us. It's sitting on the mantle of the fireplace."

Nancy nodded. "And now comes the next important question. Why do you not trust Jane?"

Emily pursed her lips before answering. "I think she's helping the Tophams. I, I can't quite explain it, but, there are a few things that doesn't add up. She'll say things that doesn't make sense, or seem to have completely forgotten some detail about Mom. It's really very odd."

Nancy knit her brows. "Are you suggesting that this might not even be the real Jane Willoughby?"

"I don't know, but it does seem that way, doesn't it?"

"Well, if what you say is true, then, she could be there to steal more than just Mr. Crowley's inheritance!" blurted Helen.

Emily nodded. "There's more."

"More?" said Nancy and Helen.

Emily gasped. "The Tophams are here!" Nancy and Helen glanced out the front of the window, the Tophams were walking towards the mall a couple of rows down.

Helen glanced at Nancy. "Do you think they followed us?"

Nancy's face hardened. "I don't doubt it."

"Oh, I shouldn't have come!"

Nancy placed a reassuring hand on Emily's shoulder. "If what you said is true, and that Jane is in cahoots with the Tophams to steal everything from you, then this just proves that Jane sent them after us. Most likely to make sure that you don't talk." Her eyes twinkled as a mischievous smirk grew. "Hence why we're going to be taking a detour for lunch, and lose them."

Helen giggled. "I sure wish I could see their faces when they lose us!"

"Right? But for now, let's just forget about the mystery. We'll talk more over lunch."

"Right now, shopping spree!" said Helen as she got out of the car. Nancy got out next, followed by a reluctant Emily. Nancy patted Emily's shoulder reassuringly before the group walked towards the mall. She understood why Emily was still worried, but it didn't take long before Emily was caught up in the thrill of window shopping. The girls spent the next three hours going through every shop in the mall, looking at pets, shoes, clothes, accessories, and knick knacks. Helen got the most stuff, leaving the mall with three bags. Nancy only got presents, something for her father, something for Hannah, and something for Frank and Joe to commemorate their first mystery. Emily left the mall with a couple of small things, things that reminded her of both her mother and Josiah Crowley. But Nancy noticed the entire time that the Tophams were keeping fairly close. They bought a couple of things, but Nancy had the distinct thought that they were following the girls. She pursed her lips, her plan worked better than she had hoped. The first part anyway, but now they had to lose them. But what could they do to give themselves a couple of minutes? Nancy knew that was all she needed to lose them on the road. But trying to lose them now meant they would know they were onto them. Nancy decided that they would have to figure out when they got back into the car. Right now, they were waiting for Helen to make one last purchase, or at least, they hoped. They still had one more shop to check out before heading out for lunch.

"Oh man, I have so many bags to carry," said Helen, adding a slight whine at the end. She glanced at Nancy and Emily imploringly. But Nancy was hoping that she was thinking the same as she was, and played along.

Nancy sighed. "I'm not carrying your bags, Helen. But, we can bring them to car and come back, if there's anything else you were looking at."

Helen smiled. "Oh, lots!"

Emily chuckled nervously. "Is she always like this?"

Nancy scoffed. "Actually, usually worse. If she was shopping with Bess, the two could clean out any store of anything cute."

"Hey!" Helen gave a little pout as Nancy shot her a sideways grin and Emily snorted. "So, can we go to the car, put our bags in the trunk, and come back in?"

Nancy glanced at her watch. "Yes, but only for a little while. We still have to figure out which restaurant we want to eat at."

"Great! You're the best Nance!" said Helen with a little squeal as she led the way out of the mall. Helen glanced back several times to talk to them about the great little pieces she found, but Nancy noticed that she was also scanning the hall for their stalkers. As soon as they reached the car, Helen let out a squeak. "I think it worked! We seemed to have lost the Tophams!"

"Let's not take any chances and get out of here before they've realized we've given them the slip," said Nancy as she unlocked the car. Helen and Emily didn't need any further prodding and jumped into the car as Nancy got in and started it up. She quickly pulled out of the parking lot and drove towards the downtown area of River Heights. Helen and Emily kept a sharp eye out, but they didn't breathe with relief until they were sitting down in one of the mom-and-pop diners tucked away in one of the many corners in downtown River Heights and had placed their order.

"Oh man, that was actually fun!" blurted Emily with a giggle.

"Oh boy, was that ever!" said Helen.

"We're still going to have to be quick about this, though, there's still a chance they could find us," warned Nancy. She turned to Emily. "You said there was more?"

Emily nodded. "I did." She glanced at Helen. "I have to tell her about the legend."

Helen shrugged. "Lilac Inn is technically yours now, it's your choice. Grandma and Aunt Flora might not be happy about it, but they'll understand if it was just Nancy."

Emily nodded before turning to Nancy and letting out a breath. "Well, this is actually more of a ghost story, but, back before the Civil War, there were these two brothers, Adam and Joe Caldwell, who built two identical houses. Joe built Twin Elms, where Grandma and Aunt Rosemary live, and Adam built Twin Lilacs, or what is Lilac Inn now. Apparently, during the Civil War, the houses were set up to be part of the Underground Railroad."

Nancy's eyes grew wide. "Really?"

Emily nodded. "But the brothers took the secrets of the houses with them, and no one has been able to find the passageway where they hid several men, women, and children on their way to freedom."

"That's amazing!"

"Oh wait, that's not even the juicy part," said Helen with a knowing twinkle in her eyes. Nancy turned to Emily expectantly.

"The tale goes that one of the men hunting for slaves desired the wife of Adam Caldwell, Rachel Caldwell. He fancied that she liked him back and sought her affection, but she turned him down. She was undeniably in love with her husband. One day, Rachel went missing, her body was never found." Nancy let out a soft gasp as Emily took a pause to drink some water. Emily continued, "Adam was devastated. He knew she would have never left him willingly, and they had two children she simply adored to no end. They were hoping to have a third. They caught the man who desired her, and they found him guilty, despite not having found the body. He had refused to tell where he had hidden the body, wanting to torment Adam. It was only a month after the man was hung that the apparitions began. A dark-haired woman dressed in white was seen wandering the grounds of Twin Lilacs, walking in from the forest, going around the house, and disappearing back into the woods. She always came on the fifteenth of every month."

"So . . ." began Nancy as a lightbulb went off in her head, "you've been seeing the ghost of Rachel Caldwell?"

Emily nodded as she paled. "Or someone dressing up and playing a very convincing ghost, considering I've seen her off and on since, since mom passed away."

"Have you ever seen her before?"

Emily shook her head. "And Mom never spoke of seeing her, though she believed that Rachel's spirit was still restless since her body was never found. It was understandable that she wanted her remains to be buried alongside her husband's. But . . . oh Nancy, I never see her coming or going, because whenever I look out my window and see her, she looks straight up at me and I get so frightened that I close the curtains and hide in my bed!"

Helen and Nancy gasped. "Is your room the old master bedroom?" asked Nancy.

Emily shook her head vehemently. "No, that was my mom's room!"

Nancy rubbed her chin. "I think you may be right, this might be someone dressing up as Rachel to scare you off. But, why? And why now?"

"Oh, I know I'm putting too much on your shoulders, but I'm at my wit's end, and I'm afraid the authorities wouldn't believe me because Jane is my guardian! And I have no proof that she is being dishonest."

Nancy patted Emily's hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll help in any way I can. But I am going to need your help, and Helen's too. We have three suspects on our hands, and we're going to have to watch them all." Helen and Emily nodded grimly. Nancy then glanced at Helen. "Looks like we're going to have to be spending a lot of time at Lilac Inn."

"Any plans on how to do that?"

Nancy glanced between them as a smirk grew on her face. "It looks like we're going to have to check into Lilac Inn."


	5. Staying at the Inn

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Carson asked. The family was sitting around the dining table eating dinner and Nancy had just told him and Hannah about their plans.

Nancy nodded. "It's the best one we have, and technically the only one."

"But to be so close to someone Emily distrusts and could be dangerous?" asked Hannah.

"The better to keep an eye on her, my dear Hannah," said Nancy with a smirk.

Hannah rolled her eyes. "Alright, Miss Holmes."

"Besides, Emily would feel better knowing that there will be two more witnesses to the fake ghost sighting."

"What makes you so sure it's a fake ghost?" asked Hannah.

"Emily definitely thinks it's a fake ghost. But by the time she gets out there to check, no one's in sight. And Jane doesn't believe that she saw anything, which makes me wonder even more about Jane." Nancy turned to her father. "Shouldn't a guardian take into consideration their ward's worries, even if they may end up proving to be unfounded? Especially considering the emotional strain Emily's been going through."

Carson shrugged. "Technically they should, but, I wonder if it is because of the emotional strain Emily's going through that Jane brushes it off as a figment of her imagination. It could be that because Emily desires to see her mother so much that she's hallucinating a ghost from a legend where, like she, a child lost their mother."

"Did I ever hallucinate?" whispered Nancy.

Carson shook his head. "You have a strong mind. A strong imagination too, but your mind would not hallucinate under such strain." He took a sip from his cup. "Although, you did have quite a bit of help from the Hardys in keeping your mind sharp. They sent you puzzle after puzzle, riddle after riddle, to help you cope."

Nancy smiled brightly. "For which I will be forever grateful."

"Then why don't you give them your cell number?" asked Hannah. "Joe's been pestering me about it behind your back."

Nancy's eyes widened. "He has? You didn't give it to him, did you?"

"Of course not, that's your decision. But, I think you should give it to them. If this is to be the beginning of your career, having them on speed dial in case you need help on a case, or if they need yours, could come in very handy."

Carson nodded. "I agree. I would feel better knowing that the three of you have each other's backs more often, even if it's just over the phone."

"Oh, alright Dad, but after I've solved Emily's mystery. Joe would be calling me every day for an update on the mystery, or even try to solve the mystery over the phone himself if he could."

Carson laughed. "That he would. I feel bad for Frank, having to keep up with him. Alright, we have a deal."

Nancy smiled. "Thanks Dad."

"And if Helen's going to be there with you as well as Emily, then I say you can stay at Lilac Inn until you've solved these mysteries."

Nancy leapt from her chair and wrapped her father in a tight hug. "Thank you Dad!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Carson?" asked Hannah.

Carson nodded. "I'm sure that with Helen and Emily there watching her back . . ." He glanced at Nancy, "And that you're extra careful, things will be fine."

Nancy smiled. "I will Dad, promise."

"Good," said Carson. He wiped his mouth with his napkin, stood up, and picked up his plate. "I'm going to go transfer the funds into your account and work on some papers. Wonderful dinner, as always, Hannah."

"Any less, and I'd be out of a job," quipped Hannah.

Carson grinned. "I very highly doubt that, my dear, you're far too much of a perfectionist."

"Don't push me," said Hannah as she flicked a strand of hair out of her face, "I could become a messy Marvin overnight."

Carson laughed. "I'd pay you to see that."

Nancy chuckled. "See Hannah? You'd get paid either way."

Hannah winked. "Guess I'm more valuable than I thought."

Carson chuckled as he patted Hannah's shoulder. "So it would seem."

Hannah gasped. "So it would seem? Did you hear that Nancy? Ugh, of all the nerve!"

Carson laughed. "I appreciate the attempt at lightening the mood, but I'm afraid I have to cut it short, Hannah. I'm starting to get behind on my schedule."

Hannah scoffed. "You could have walked away whenever you wanted. You wanted in on the fun too."

Carson smiled. "Maybe, but I really must get to work now. And transfer that money so my daughter can get to work tomorrow too." He winked at her before walking into the kitchen.

Nancy chuckled as Hannah followed Carson into the kitchen. Joe and Hannah seemed to always know what to say to make her laugh, while Frank and her father always seemed to know what to say to boost her confidence. She smiled, she was a lucky girl indeed to have them in her life. She glanced at the clock. She should get moving too, if she wanted to be able to get to Lilac Inn early enough tomorrow. She quickly rinsed off her plate and put it in the dishwasher before dashing up the stairs to begin packing. She was interrupted by a phone call. She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Helen. Nancy sighed. She couldn't wait until seven, could she?

"Hello?"

"Hi Nancy! What did your dad say?"

"Helen, I told you I was going to call you at seven!"

"I know, I know, but, I couldn't wait!"

Nancy chuckled. "Obviously."

"So, what did your dad say?"

"He said I can go!"

"Oh good! Um, hang on a second."

Nancy let out a huff as she put the phone on speaker phone and went back to packing. It was a couple of minutes later when Helen's voice came back on the line.

"Sorry about that Nancy, my parents wouldn't even consider letting me go unless you were going."

Nancy quickly picked up the phone and turned off the speaker before giving her answer. "I see. So, are you coming?"

"Yes!" Helen's exclamation was so loud, Nancy had to pull back from the phone for a moment.

"Helen, not so loud please!"

"Sorry, but, I'm so excited! I get to help you solve Emily's mystery! I am the best person to help you anyway, considering that she is my cousin." Helen paused for a moment. "And it would certainly put Aunt Flora's mind at ease. I talked with my parents about it, and they said that if Jane Willoughby is in fact a fraud, then Emily would be in the sole care of Aunt Flora. At least, until the real Jane Willoughby is found and accepts her role of guardianship."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then Aunt Flora gets full custody of Emily until she turns eighteen," replied Helen. "But knowing Aunt Flora, she would probably let Emily stay at Lilac Inn all by herself and run it. Oh, she and grandma would probably lend a hand with taking care of it, but, it would fall primarily on Emily's shoulders."

Nancy nodded slowly, though her mind was racing. "And if Emily should sell Lilac Inn before we find out if Jane is a fraud?"

Helen sighed. "Then Jane would get a nice-sized portion of the sale." Helen paused. "You don't think Jane is trying to get Emily to sell so she could make off with the money?"

"That's the only possible motive. Though she could be waiting around to see if Emily will inherit anything from Josiah Crowley."

"But why would she do such a thing to her best friend's daughter?"

"If she really is Jane Willoughby, she could be in some financial trouble. If she isn't, well, she really is in it for the money. But first, we have to find out if she's behind all of this, including the Rachel Caldwell sightings."

Helen gasped. "You think they might be trying to make it seem like Emily went crazy?"

"It's a possibility, one I hope to find out soon when we're at Lilac Inn."

It was amlost lunch when Nancy and Helen were pulling into the parking lot of Lilac Inn.

"What? Why is Emily out here?"

Nancy's forehead creased. "And why does she look so worried?" The two found out quickly as Emily dashed towards them as they got out of the car.

"I'm so sorry Nancy! Jane was of a mind to cancel your reservations if I didn't tell her the real reason why you were staying here for a while!"

Helen gasped. "You told her everything?"

Emily quickly shook her head. "Oh no, not, not everything, I just told her that I asked you to look for Josiah's will and that I thought it would be easier for you to stay at Lilac Inn since you would be closer to Josiah's house that way."

Nancy nodded with approval. "Good thinking, but, has she told the Tophams yet?"

"I think she's on the phone with them right now."

Nancy pursed her lips. "That might make the search a little harder, but, it's not like they can stop me. If I can piece together the puzzles Josiah left behind, then it will save them some time too." She leaned in and whispered. "Besides, with their attention on that, it might give me a chance to keep an eye on Jane without her assuming anything. But, it's best not to talk about anything except Josiah's will."

Emily nodded firmly. "Definitely. Now, let me help you get your bags in before Jane suspects anything."

Nancy smiled. "Thank you." The three went to the trunk and began unloading their luggage.

Emily's eyes widened when she grabbed a couple of Helen's bags. "How long were you two planning on staying?"

Helen flipped her hair. "With Nancy, it's best to come prepared for anything."

Nancy laughed. "I've trained you too well."

Helen grinned. "Way too well. Guess that means you can handle a certain Scottish terrier, right?" Helen winked.

Nancy laughed. "Oh, alright, I guess I can."

"A Scottish terrier?" asked Emily.

As the girls walked into Lilac Inn, Nancy and Helen took turns telling her about Nancy's newly acquired dog that she named Togo, after a dog on Balto's team who was in turn named after a Japanese general.

"But why that name?" asked Emily as the girls set the bags down by the front desk to register.

Helen grinned. "She knows about Togo thanks to a certain pen pal who read up on everything about Balto one year."

Nancy blushed. "Frank likes dogs, my goodness! So what if he decided to do research on the most famous dog-team in America for his eighth-grade paper!"

Emily gasped. "You have a crush on a pen pal!"

Jane leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Now this I have to hear."

"And he is definitely cute," said Helen, followed by a squeal. "I know shipping your friends is very wrong, but I ship them so hard!"

Nancy only seemed to get redder. "Oh come on you guys!"

"How did they meet?" asked Jane.

"Oh, actually, apparently her parents and their parents knew each other back in high school through to college. Well, um," Helen shot a quick glance at nancy before continuing, "after Mrs. Drew passed away, Mr. Hardy found out about it and he and his family sent their condolences, saying they would help wherever needed. Well, Mr. Drew figured Nancy could use a few more friends and asked that the Hardy boys, Frank and Joe, become her pen pals. They've been in contact ever since." Helen paused before a light sparkle came into her eyes. "And man, you should see Joe! Handsome men apparently run in the family."

Nancy passed a hand over her face. "Oh good grief. You and Bess are going to have to duke it out when it comes to Joe, you know."

Helen grinned. "I know, but they must have handsome friends."

Nancy rolled her eyes. "You see what I have to deal with, Emily? With Helen and Bess around, you'll never hear the end of it!" The four laughed before Jane handed them the key to their room.

"And I must thank you again for everything you are doing for Emily and me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it." Jane glanced at Emily. "I just wonder why Emily didn't want to tell me."

"I'm sorry, that was at my request, Jane," said Nancy. "I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up in case my dad said I couldn't come."

Jane nodded with approval. "Smart girl. Well, I'll let you get your things to your room and then you can get started on looking for Josiah's will."

"Thanks Jane! We'll see you later!" said Nancy as Emily led them up the stairs to their room. Emily helped them unpack before heading downstairs and fixed them all lunch. She raced back upstairs so the three could talk business, and a report.

"Jane says we can't take a look at the clock until the guests are gone?" said Nancy incredulously.

Emily nodded. "And I understand why, she doesn't want too many questions, and neither do I, to be honest."

Nancy let out a sigh. "Alright, guess that will have to wait until later."

"Early tomorrow morning," said Emily.

"Why?"

Emily grimaced. "We have a party tonight. It's been in our books for weeks."

"So, now what?" asked Helen.

Nancy bit off a piece of carrot stick and chewed thoughtfully. "Emily, is there anything else of Josiah's you might have?"

"Oh, yes," said Emily. She rose and dashed into her room, returning with a book. She handed it to Nancy. "He gave my mom this book when we were talking about the inheritance and when he said that time would tell."

Nancy flipped through the pages. It was a book of poems. "Hmm, why are four poems circled?"

"Four? Really?" said Emily as she peered over Nancy's shoulders. She let out a soft gasp. "Four inheritors!"

"Wait, what?" blurted Nancy and Helen.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I clean forgot to tell you! The Tophams and my mom and I weren't the only ones promised a share in his will!"

"Who are the other inheritors?" asked Nancy.

"Jim and Maud Archer, and the Turner sisters. And each of us got a clock!"

"Do you know where they live?" asked Nancy.

Emily shook her head. "No, but, Jane might have that information. At least she does have Jim Archer's address, he's our banker. Josiah recommended him to us."

"Hmm," said Nancy thoughtfully. The girls ate the rest of their lunch in silence as Nancy continued to think.

Once they were finished, Nancy glanced at the clock. It was almost two. She got up.

"Well, let's get the information from Jane and take a quick look at the clock. We'll go from there." Helen and Emily nodded before rising and helping Nancy gather the dishes. They raced downstairs, washed them, and put them away before heading to the front desk. They arrived just in time to hear the tail end of a conversation between Jane and Richard.

"... take me to Chicago for a couple of days. Isabella will be staying with her grandmother during that time."

"Oh, Mr. Topham!" called out Nancy. The three turned and glanced at her as she dashed over. "Mr. Topham, may I look at the old clock Josiah Crowley gave you? I think Josiah hid a clue to his will in there."

"What, really?" blurted Isabella. Nancy nodded.

"Well, as much as I would like to, I would also like to be there when you've unlocked the clock."

Nancy smiled. "I understand. Then we'll do it the first day upon your return?"

"How about the day after that, it should give me time to relax for a moment."

Nancy held out her hand, and Richard shook on it. "Deal."

"Wonderful, now if you'll excuse us, we have to finish packing. Nancy, helen, Emily, good day. Jane, always a pleasure."

"It 's always a pleasure to speak to you," said Jane. She giggled when Richard kissed her hand. Richard placed his hat on his head, and tipped it before leaving the inn with Isabella.

"Aw," said Helen, "you two are so adorable!"

Jane's face began to turn red. "Oh, posh. He is a wonderful fellow, though ,don't you think?" The girls nodded.

"Jane?"

"Yes Nancy?"

"Do you have the info for the Archers and the Turners?"

"I know I have the Archers' info, but I can check for the Turners. Why?"

"We think we may have a clue!" blurted Helen.

Nancy smiled. "And we think Josiah hid clues to his will in each of the four clocks he gave."

"That's great! Here, let me write down the info for the Archers. I know they won't be available until tomorrow," said Jane as she quickly wrote down the information. She hand the piece of paper to Nancy. "Here are the Archers' info. Now let me see if I have the Turners' info." Jane rummaged through some papers in an address book. "Aha! I do have it!" She quickly wrote down the information.

"That's wonderful!" said Nancy.

Jane handed her the slip of paper. "You might want to call them before heading out, just in case. I have no clue what their plans might be."

Nancy nodded. "Good idea, we will. Thank you so much!" The girls rushed upstairs. "Emily, why don't you call the Turners?"

Emily blanched. "What? Why me?"

"They know you, and if you explained the whole situation to them, they might understand it better."

Emily let out a breath. "Oh, alright. She picked up the phone in the room and dialed the number Jane had just given them. It rang several times before the voicemail picked up. Emily covered the mouthpiece. "I've got voicemail," she whispered.

"Leave a message," Nancy whispered back.

Emily let out a huff before removing her hand and giving a quick summary for the reason for her call. She gave her name and number before hanging up.

"So, the Tophams are heading out of town, the Archers won''t be in until tomorrow, and it doesn't sound like the Turners are in," said Helen. "Now what?"

"Let's go over these poems and see if we can figure out what clues they hold," said Nancy. The girls spent the rest of the afternoon going over every poem severa times, but nothing seemed to clicked. When it came time for the party, they paused in their work, freshened up, and went downstairs to help Jane. It was a blast, and the girls finally crawled into bed exhausted.

Nancy, felt like her head had only just hit the pillow when screaming woke her up. She sat up groggily and glanced at Helen, who was covering a yawn.

"What in the . . ." Helen paused as both of their eyes widened.

"Emily!" They kicked the blankets off, grabbed their robes, and dashed out of their room and down the hall towards Emily's room. Jane arrived just before they did. She opened the door and was practically flying towards a sobbing Emily.

"Emily! What happened?"

"Oh, she, she looked horrible! All bloody and mangled!" blurted Emily between sobs. Helen ran to Emily's side, but Nancy ran towards the window and pulled the curtains back. Her eyes darted over the yard before letting out a gasp. Someone, or something, was definitely down there!


	6. Making Calls

"Nancy!" cried out Helen, but Nancy was already out of the room. She dashed into their room, slipped on her slippers, grabbed a flashlight, and practically flew down the stairs. She yanked open the front door and dashed out into the yard, throwing the light from her flashlight everywhere. She wasn't worried about stealth, just time. She had to confront this so-called ghost before she vanished again. But the longer Nancy scoured the grounds, the more she realized she had already missed her chance. The ghost was long gone. She kicked a loose pebble in frustration before heading back to the last spot she had seen something, whatever it was, from Emily's window. She poked and prodded around the lilac bush before glancing up at the window. The curtain was closed, but Nancy could just barely see the shadows of her friends and Jane. Letting out a breath, she turned back to thoroughly searching the lilac bush and the area around it. She gasped when her fingers closed around an object. She pulled it into the light of her flashlight, and grinned. It was a piece of white fabric! Ghosts shouldn't be getting their clothes stuck on branches.

She looked around one more time before calling it quits and heading back inside. She ran up the stairs and found that the other guests had gotten up, and were arguing with Jane.

"Please, there is nothing to be concerned about," said Jane.

"Well, I can't get any sleep with that girl screaming every other night!" blurted one man.

"She must have seen something!" blurted a woman.

"She did!" shouted Nancy, getting everyone's attention.

The woman gulped. "A ghost?"

Nancy shook her head. "This was definitely a woman in good health. I don't know why she's prowling the Lilac Inn property, but we should take extra precaution and make sure all windows and doors are locked until we know more."

There was a bit of grumbling from a few people, but in a matter of minutes, every door and window was thoroughly secure. Once all the guests had gone back to bed, Jane approached Nancy.

"Did you see something?"

"Only something white from Emily's window as the person, thing, whatever it is, tried to get out of view quickly. Whoever, or whatever, it was was long gone by the time I got outside."

"Did you find any clues?" asked Jane, a little too quickly.

Since Nancy knew Helen didn't trust Jane, she figured keeping this piece of evidence to herself until further proof could be found was a wise decision, so she shook her head. "Nothing concrete. Sure, the bushes looked like someone had walked through them, but, any one of us could have done that at any point."

Jane nodded. "That is true. Well, hopefully next time you'll find something. It would certainly put Emily's mind at ease, and my own."

Nancy nodded. "Of course. Why don't you go to bed? Helen and I will take care of Emily tonight."

"Are you sure? I am her guardian . . ."

"I'm sure."

"How can we ever repay you two for all that you're doing for us?" exclaimed Jane as she gave Nancy a hug.

Nancy smiled. "Keep Lilac Inn running in memory of Mrs. Crandall."

Jane wiped a tear from her eye. "We'll definitely do that. Well, thank you again. Good night."

"Good night." The two parted ways, Jane went into her room and Nancy went into Emily's, where she and Helen spent the rest of the night.

Nancy was the first to wake up the next morning. She rubbed her eyes, yawned, and proceeded to meander towards her room to change. She noticed that the other guests seemed to be up and about and, hopefully, hadn't checked out due to last night's incident. She figured on checking in with Jane on that first thing after she was dressed. She stretched before entering the room, gathering clothes and toiletries, and dashing into the bathroom for a quick shower.

When she finished getting ready, she searched out Jane. She found her at the front desk.

"Why Nancy, you're up bright and early!"

Nancy smiled. "Not that early."

Jane glanced at her clock. "Eight is still pretty early."

"Well, in comparison to getting up at six for school, this is sleeping in."

Jane chuckled. "Touche, touche. Did you need something?"

Nancy leaned in and whispered, "Did anyone check out?"

Jane nodded with a soft sigh. "Yes, that couple did, but everyone else said they understood and have stayed. One guy even prolonged his stay here."

"Well, at least that's good news."

"You're telling me," said Jane. "Did you need anything else?"

Nancy shook her head. "That was all."

"Alright. Now then, what are the plans for today?"

Nancy smiled. "See if we can visit the Archers and the Turners."

Jane nodded. "Good luck."

"Thanks!" said Nancy before racing back up the stairs. She went into Emily's room. Emily and Helen were wide awake and already dressed.

"Where did you run off to?" asked Helen as she brushed her hair.

"I went to talk to Jane real quick. Apparently a couple of the guests checked out due to last night's incident."

Emily began to tear. "Oh no! It's all my fault!"

Nancy pulled her into a hug. "No it isn't. That ghost last night was obviously trying to scare you, and it worked."

"But what should I do? Everyone thinks I'm going crazy!"

Helen put her arm around Emily. "We don't think you're going crazy. Nancy saw it too."

Emily glanced at Nancy in surprise. "You did?"

"I didn't fully see her, but I did see something white moving quickly out of sight."

"But, you saw her when you investigated the yard, right?" asked Helen hopefully.

Nancy shook her head. "No, I think she was long gone by the time I got outside, but . . ." She paused, leaned in, and whispered. "I did find a piece of her dress. A real ghost wouldn't wear a real dress, now, would they?"

Emily let out a soft gasp. "So she is a real person pretending to be a ghost!"

Nancy shushed her. "Keep it down, you don't trust Jane, remember?"

"Oh, right."

"So, now what?" asked Helen.

Nancy walked towards the phone. "We call the Archers and the Turners and see if we can visit them both today. The sooner we can get the clocks figured out, the better." Nancy picked up the piece of paper with the information and dialed the Archer phone first. It rang a few times before a female voice came on.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Archer, I hope?" said Nancy.

"This is she," said Mrs. Archer slowly. "Who am I speaking with?"

"Hi, I'm Nancy Drew, a friend of Emily Crandall's."

"Oh you are? How wonderful. How is the dear girl doing?"

Nancy glanced at Emily, she was definitely looking better. "Oh, she's starting to get out of the thick of it," she said knowingly. "Speaking of, that was why I called. See, we were wondering if we could stop by for a visit."

"Oh, that would be wonderful! You absolutely must! We haven't had Emily over in some time. We know it's partially due to her grief, which is completely understandable, and the other part in due to her guardian having to take on such a load. The poor things. Will just Emily be coming?"

"Of Emily and Jane, yes, Emily is the only one free. I will be coming, and so will Emily's cousin, Helen Corning."

"Oh, Rosemary's granddaughter? That would be absolutely lovely! Hang on just a minute, Nancy." Nancy heard Mrs. Archer walk away from the phone. A few minutes later, she heard her walking back. "Nancy, are you still there?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Wonderful, my husband Jim and I would be more than happy to have you girls over for lunch. We're eating at eleven o'clock today since my husband has a meeting in the afternoon. Will that work?"

"Oh, yes! Of course! May we come over a little earlier?"

"I don't see why not."

"Wonderful, thank you Mrs. Archer! See, Emily has asked me to locate Josiah Crowley's will, and we have reason to believe he left clues in the old clocks he gave to his inheritors."

Mrs. Archer gasped. "Really? Then by all means, come as early as you please! Well, at least, come anytime after nine thirty. My husband has an important call coming in at eight thirty, and based on how long those calls have gotten, an hour might just be long enough."

"We'll be there for nine forty-five," said Nancy.

"Marvelous! See you then!" Mrs. Archer hung up.

Nancy let out a breath as she hung up the phone and picked it right back up to call the Turners.

"So?" said Helen.

Nancy finished pushing in the numbers and held the phone to her ear before glancing at Helen and Emily. "We have lunch with the Archers. We'll be eating lunch at eleven, but we can get there between nine thirty and ten to look over the clock."

Emily picked up the book Josiah had left her mother. "Do you think that will give us enough time to figure out the clocks?"

Nancy shrugged. "We'll just have to wait and find out."

"Hello?" came a tired voice over the line.

"Oh! Hello! Is this one of the Miss Turners?"

"This is Edna Turner."

"Hi Miss Edna, this is Nancy Drew, I'm a friend of Emily's."

The voice turned cold. "Oh, really? Did she get you to call me to get my hopes up just to dash them?"

"Oh no Miss Edna! I'm hoping to make those hopes come true!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Emily has asked me to find Josiah Crowley's will, and we have reason to believe he has hidden clues in the clocks he gave you and the other inheritors."

There was a pause on the line, and Nancy hoped Edna wasn't going to hang up. "We've been over that old clock hundreds of times and didn't find anything."

"But I may have found the key to opening it. Sorry, correction, keys, I don't know which key goes to which clock yet."

"Has Emily had it this whole time?"

"Yes ma'am, except she didn't realize what it was until I looked at it. Of course, with her mother gone, Emily really hasn't thought of much . . ."

Edna gasped and it seemed her whole demeanor changed. "Gloria's dead? Why, I, I didn't know!"

Nancy arched her eyebrows. "How come you didn't know?"

"Well, no one's told us, and, well, we've had to cut back on a few things just to scrape by, so, no newspapers, no internet, no cell phones, just a regular old landline, and just one at that."

Nancy gasped. "Oh, you poor things! No wonder why you need Josiah's will to be found so badly!"

"You are absolutely right, and if you have found something that could lead us to Josiah's will and need the clocks to do so, then come on over! My sister Mary won't be home until two. Will that be alright?"

"Of course! We're having lunch with the Archers."

"What about the Tophams?"

"Unfortunately, they're out of town for the next three days, but we did set up a time as soon as they return. So, we won't be able to complete the puzzle until they return, but if we could have the majority of the pieces all set up by the time they return, we can find the will that much quicker."

"Oh, alright. I'll see you at two then. Do you have our address?"

Nancy told her the address she had.

"Oh no, we've moved. Here's our new address." Nancy quickly wrote it down, but her eyes were wide with surprise at the address. That was in one of the poorest neighborhoods in town! The Turners desperately needed money.

"Alright, we'll see you at two. Good bye!"

"Good bye, dear," said Edna before hanging up the phone.

"Well, if we're not due at the Archers for another hour and a half, what should we do?" said Helen as Nancy put the receiver down.

"We take a look at Josiah's clock downstairs. Emily, bring the book please," said Nancy as she walked towards the door. Helen and Emily followed her down the stairs and into the living room. Nancy took the clock off the mantle and set it on the floor. The three girls sat around it.

"Emily, read each of the four poems, slowly."

Emily nodded. "OK." She flipped open the book to the first circled poem and began to read it. Meanwhile, Nancy picked up the clock and very carefully turned it over, looking at every side of it, and feeling around every little nook and cranny. She continued her investigation while Emily read the poems. She sat there, thinking, why did Josiah choose those poems? What did they have to do with clocks?

Suddenly, it clicked. "Emily, read that last poem again!"

Emily glanced at her, startled. "Um, OK."

Nancy listened intently. Was she imagining things? No, there they were, numbers, five of them. "Emily, just read me the numbers."

"What . . . oh!" Emily read the numbers and Nancy moved the hour hands into the various positions. Three, five, three, six, and four were set into place. Nothing happened.

"Go back to the first poem and give me the numbers."

Emily nodded excitedly and read off the numbers. "Two, two, six, five, seven."

Nancy shook her head when nothing happened after putting in those numbers. "Next one."

"Five, four, five, two, two."

Nancy gasped as she heard a tiny click and the bottom of the clock opened up. Helen and Emily leaned in closer as Nancy pulled on it with shaking fingers. They had figured it out!


	7. Secret of the Old Clock

"What is it Nancy?" said Emily.

"Hurry up and open it!" said Helen excitedly.

"OK, OK, hold on, this is old and I don't want to mess anything up," said Nancy. Her heart was beating wildly as she carefully pulled back the secret compartment. She reached into the compartment and pulled out a piece of paper.

"Another clue?" said Helen disappointedly.

Emily shrugged. "Josiah did like making treasure hunts."

"And I guess he wanted to share that joy with the four families he named as his inheritors," said Nancy. She shot Emily a grin. "Unfortunately, it doesn't look like you do share that."

Emily chuckled nervously. "No, I'm afraid not. I mean, I didn't mind the treasure hunts, I just don't have the brain power for them, not like you."

"But what does it say, Nancy?" said Helen impatiently.

Nancy glanced at the paper in her hand and handed it to Emily. "I think Emily should have the honors of reading it. She is one of the inheritors."

Emily nodded as she took the paper. "Thank you Nancy." She let out a breath as she opened it. "OK, here goes." Her eyes widened as she read the paper.

"Well? What does it say?" blurted Helen. "I'm dying of suspense!"

"Oh, um, sorry, I just, I can't make heads or tails of this."

"Nancy might, if you read it out loud," said Helen, sounding more and more impatient.

"Helen, relax, if Emily wants to have a go at it first, that's fine."

"But what does it say?"

"OK, I'll read it out loud. Maybe I'll see it differently." She cleared her throat and read the paper. "'When four quarters become whole; And the whole is in one; Check in at twelve o'clock; Your hunt has just begun."

There was a moment of silence before Helen blurted, "What?"

Emily shrugged. "Hey, you wanted to hear it. Told you it was odd."

Nancy was thoughtful. "Yeah, that is a bit odd. But the last line is pretty clear. Our hunt has just begun. Maybe once we've gotten the hints from the other clocks, this one will start to make more sense."

"I hope so," said Helen, "because it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever right now."

"You're telling me," muttered Emily. The two glanced at Nancy.

"What?"

"You tell us, miss detective, you figured that out in like," Helen paused to glance at her phone, "thirty minutes. Now what?"

Nancy grinned as she pushed the hidden compartment back into place and put it back on the mantle. "We can help Jane with whatever needs to be done here before heading out to the Archers."

Helen groaned. "Oh fine."

"Unless you have a better idea?"

"Well, we could take a walk around the garden," said Emily slowly.

"To check for clues!" said Helen with a smile.

Nancy chuckled. "We could, but the other guests have been up for a while now. Who knows if they've already trampled anything we could have found."

"We can still try," said Helen as she stood up.

Nancy nodded. "Alright, we'll try. And if we don't find anything, we'll help Jane until it's time to go."

"Sounds good to me," said Helen as she grabbed each girl by the hand. "Let's go!" She practically dragged the two outside where they began a thorough search of the property. But, as Nancy had figured, they didn't find any more than the typical signs of the usual traffic. Nancy led the way back into the inn, Helen mumbled and grumbled the whole way. She was more upset about not finding any clues to the ghost. But, with everything that Jane gave them to do, the hour passed rather pleasantly.

With a quick goodbye to Jane, the three girls dashed out to Nancy's car and took off for the Archers' house. Helen gave Nancy directions using her GPS, and before long, they were pulling up to a lovely, two-story house with green trim and surrounded by a lovely garden.

"Wow, it's so pretty!" said Helen with awe.

Emily chuckled. "The Archers have put a lot of work into it. They have a gardener who's been working for them for years. He's worked on Lilac Inn's garden every now and then."

"Well, if the outside is anything to look at, then the inside must just be as lovely," said Nancy as she parked the car.

"Oh yes! Though, it has been a while since I've been here, they could have changed a few things," said Emily.

"Do they have any children?" asked Nancy.

Emily nodded. "A daughter named Jenny, who's a year younger than us, and a son named Madden, who's in seventh grade, I think?"

"Well, if they're anything like my parents, we'll find out soon enough," said Helen before she got out of the car. Emily and Nancy followed suit, and all three girls walked towards the house. Nancy reached it first and rang the doorbell. There was a moment before the door was opened by a middle-aged woman. She glanced over the girls, and gasped with delight when she saw Emily.

"Oh, Emily dear! How are you doing?" she said as she wrapped Emily up in a hug.

"I'm getting better, thank you, Mrs. Archer," said Emily. "Not quite well yet, though."

"Of course not! How could you be? It's only been three months, I wouldn't expect anyone to get over it that quickly! Unless you have a heart of stone, which we all know you don't have."

Emily chuckled. "Thanks, Mrs. Archer."

"Now come on in! Jim, Jenny, and Madden will be so glad to see you!" Mrs. Archer led the girls into the living room, where the rest of the Archer family was sitting. Introductions were quickly made before talk turned to the old clock.

"Did you find anything in the clock Mr. Crowley left at Lilac Inn?" Madden asked excitedly.

Helen grinned as she glanced at Nancy with pride. "Nancy definitely did."

"Well, at least Emily helped."

"All I did was read the poem! You figured out that we needed the numbers in the poems!"

"What?" said the Archers. The whole story came out and Emily showed them the piece of paper they had found in her clock.

Mr. Archer read the paper. "This is an odd poem."

"But wasn't Mr. Crowley always kind of odd?" asked Madden. "In a good way," he quickly added when his parents shot him a reproving look.

Mr. Archer chuckled. "Yes, he was odd in a good way."

"Which is why it was so much fun having him over," said Mrs. Archer.

Her husband nodded. "Right, and reading this really makes me miss him, a lot." Mrs. Archer rubbed his shoulder reassuringly.

"So, shall we let Nancy open our clock?" asked Jenny.

Mr. Archer rose from the sofa. "Of course! Maybe the clue Josiah left in our clock will help clear this message up." He walked to the mantle and took the clock off it. He walked to Nancy and handed it to her.

Helen rubbed her hands. "Time to work your magic!"

Nancy shook her head as she chuckled. "It's not magic, silly, just good old reason." She turned to Emily. "Can you read the numbers off the poems?"

"Of course!"

"Except, of course, the one that was used on your clock," said Helen. "Do you remember which one it was?"

Emily grinned as she turned to a page and pointed to a poem circled in red ink. "That one."

Nancy grinned. "Emily's got it, don't worry Helen. You're her cousin, don't you know this?"

Helen scoffed. "It's not like we spent almost every day together, like I did with you."

"Besides, Helen doesn't have the greatest of memories," said Emily with a smirk.

"Hey!"

Nancy chuckled as she sat on the ground. "Alright you two, let's focus. Emily, start reading me those numbers please."

"Right!" Emily sat down next to Nancy and opened the book to the first poem. She rattled off the numbers, and Nancy rotated the hands into position for each number. Nothing happened.

"Next one," said Nancy.

Emily rattled off the numbers and Nancy moved the hour hand to each number. She gasped when she heard a distinct click. The Archer family quickly crowded around her with baited breath as she opened up the secret compartment and pulled out a piece of paper. She handed it to Mr. Archer.

"Would you like to do the honors, Mr. Archer?" she asked.

"I would be honored to!" He opened the paper, and blinked.

Helen groaned. "Another odd one?"

"Even odder than the first, I should say," said Mr. Archer, clearly mystified.

"What does it say?" asked Emily.

"Nine lives for every cat; And twelve for every dog; Unlock the box at six o'clock; Three is the key through the fog."

"Say what?" blurted Helen as Mr. Archer handed the paper to Nancy.

Nancy shrugged. "That's what it says."

"How can you make heads or tails out of that?" asked Jenny.

"Wowee, Mr. Crowley did a number on us this time!" blurted Madden.

"Madden!" berated his mother.

He grinned nervously. "Sorry mother."

But the statement gave Nancy an idea. "Of course!" They glanced at her expectantly. "It's just like with the poems! We need to pay attention to the numbers! Mr. Archer, did Mr. Crowley have any safes, or anything, with number combinations?"

Mr. Archer snapped his fingers. "Why, you're absolutely right! He had a safe at home and a deposit box with the bank, I know both could only be opened with number combinations!"

Mrs. Archer hugged Nancy. "Oh my dear, you're brilliant!"

"But, how do we know which of these poems go to which safe?" asked Emily.

"Oh, that's easy, the safe at Riverview Manor requires a four number combination, the one at the bank has five."

"Great! That means that the combination for his safe deposit box must be nine, one, two, six, and three!" said Nancy. She handed Mr. Archer the paper. "You might need this."

"But, what if Josiah left another message in the poems and you need all four to figure it out?" asked Mrs. Archer. "He was known to have multiple clues hidden in one place like that."

Nancy grinned as she took out her phone. "That's what pictures are for, Mrs. Archer. Speaking of, I should get a picture of both poems." Emily held the poem found in her clock and Mr. Archer held the one they just found while Nancy snapped a couple of pictures. "There, that should do it."

"Wonderful! Now, you must tell us everything," said Mrs. Archer as she led them into the dining room. They sat around the table and chatted away about everything. At eleven o'clock sharp, lunch was served and they ate and continued to talk. They were horrified to hear about the ghost. They were surprised, Mr. and Mrs. Archer in particular, that Emily didn't trust Jane, but believed her when she mentioned the incidents that caused such doubts, and were beginning to doubt Jane's good reputation as well.

"But, there's still no proof that Jane isn't who she says she is," said Mr. Archer.

"But, there's not much proof to the opposite," said Mrs. Archer.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, Gloria has mentioned her before, but didn't give very many details so we could recognise her," said Mrs. Archer.

Emily's eyes widened. "Why, you're right! And I never bothered to ask?"

"You and me both," said Mrs. Archer.

"Oh, that should be easy enough," said Nancy, recalling what her father had taught her. "She does have social media, right?"

"Yes, but she's told me that she's so busy with Lilac Inn that she hasn't been on in a while, and the picture on her account isn't of her face, but of a cat. I've befriended her on social media, but she has no pictures of herself on there."

"Why is that?" asked Nancy.

Mrs. Archer shrugged. "She told me that she didn't like having her picture out there, ready to be used for evil purposes. I mean, I don't blame her, but something like that is rather rare."

"That sounds odder than Mr. Crowley's poems," quipped Jenny.

Nancy thought for a moment.

"Do you think we should call in the police?" asked Mrs. Archer.

Mr. Archer shook his head. "We have no definite proof that this is someone pretending to be Jane Willoughby. Right now, it would be her word against ours."

Nancy nodded. "He's right, but, maybe my father could do a search on her. If he has time, that is. It would certainly clear up things."

"Oh that it would," said Mrs. Archer.

"And it would take a load off my mind," said Emily.

"And mine," said Nancy.

"Oh my, it's already time for me to go." Mr. Archer rose from the table and walked over to Mrs. Archer. He bent down and kissed her. "Lunch was wonderful."

Mrs. Archer smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

He kissed his children's heads. "You be good for your mother."

"Yes sir," they chorused.

"Good," he said. He glanced at Nancy, Emily, and Helen and patted his right pocket. "I'll have this in my desk at work, and I'll take a look at Josiah's box when I get the chance."

"Sounds good," said Nancy.

"Goodbye!" they chorused as they waved. Mr. Archer was soon gone. Mrs. Archer enlisted their help in cleaning the kitchen before they returned to the living room to talk. Madden left to go play with his friends, now that the interesting part was over.

The girls left a little after one-thirty. They exchanged numbers with Jenny and Mrs. Archer, both promising to be on standby in case they needed help. Soon, the three were heading towards the poor end of River Heights. Emily and Helen gasped when Nancy informed them that the Turners weren't doing so well.

"I wonder why," muttered Helen.

"I'm sure they have a good reason," said Emily. "The Turners had always been quite conscious about how much money they spent. But I do wonder why they had to move. Their old house wasn't very big, but it was affordable and it fit their needs."

"Well, I guess we shall find out when we get there," said Nancy. The three girls were mostly quiet on the way, but as they got closer, Nancy had to ask a question. "Emily, is there a reason why the Turners might not like you?"

Emily winced. "You mean the only reason? Because, for some reason, they believe that Mom and I were trying to convince Mr. Crowley to give us their share. I don't why, or how that idea came about, but, that's why. I'm actually kind of surprised that Edna said we could go to their house."

Nancy sighed. "She, she said they hadn't even heard of your mom passing away."

"Oh," was all Emily said. She gasped when they pulled into the driveway. "This is so small! They really have gotten on hard times!"

"Oh, maybe we can leave them some money to help them out," suggested Helen.

"If they'll even take it," said Nancy. "But I am willing to head to the grocery store and get a few things for them, if they need it."

"Well, let's find out what they need," said Helen. The three girls got out of the car and walked towards the front door. They were startled when a greying-haired woman came barging out of the house, wielding a rolling pin like a sword.

"Get off of our property! You're not wanted here! Especially you, Emily Crandall!"

*Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this story so far! I would like to know what you think of it. I will be taking a break from this story for a couple of weeks, I have a deadline to meet on two other stories and I need to focus on getting them done. I will be back in mid-June. Thanks again, and we'll see you soon!*


	8. Turn of Events

Nancy quickly pulled Emily behind her while Helen began inching her way to the rear door as another middle-aged woman rushed out of the house.

"Mary, don't! I said they could come!"

"But why would you let her come here!" blurted Mary Turner. Nancy figured that meant the other woman was her sister, Edna, the one she talked to on the phone.

"If you would stop and listen to me for five minutes, you would know! Idiot." The two glared at each other for a moment before Mary huffed and crossed her arms, the rolling pin sticking out, aimed at the girls.

"Fine, but make it snappy. And this had better be good."

"Gloria's dead, Mary, and these girls think they might have figured out Josiah's clues to start searching for his will."

Mary's whole demeanor seemed to change as she glanced at Emily. "Gloria's dead? Oh, you poor thing!" She wrapped Emily up in a hug. Emily smiled nervously and patted Mary's back. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm, uh, feeling a little bit better, um, thank you."

"Isn't there something else you need to say, Mary?"

Mary sighed. "Yes, I'm sorry for the way I acted upon your arrival. I just, I get so mad without letting my sister explain everything to me."

"Ain't that the truth," mumbled Edna with a roll of her eyes.

"May I ask why you two didn't like Gloria and Emily?" asked Nancy.

"Well," began Mary, but she was interrupted by a little voice. A little girl of about six years old walked towards them. She was a pretty child, with bouncy gold curls, sparkling grey eyes, and a dimpled smile.

"Auntie Mary, Auntie Edna, who are these pretty ladies?"

"Judy! I thought I told you to wait inside!" said Edna. She turned to the others. "Might as well get everyone inside too. Come on." She grabbed Judy's hand and led them into the small house. The girls gasped when they entered. It might have been small, but it was cute.

"Wow, I like what you've done with the place," said Helen.

Mary smiled. "That's all Edna's doing. She was always better at color coordinating than I ever was."

Edna scoffed. "Well, you were the tomboy of the three of us."

"The three of you?" asked Helen.

Edna nodded. "Mary's the eldest, then me, and Judy's mother, Anne, was the youngest."

"Where is Judy's mother?" asked Nancy slowly, already dreading the answer the instant the question came out of her mouth.

"Mommy and Daddy are in heaven with Granpa and Granma," said Judy matter-of-factly.

"Judy?" said Edna as she knelt down to her level. "You see that girl?" She pointed to Emily.

"Yes, she's really pretty."

Emily smiled. "Thank you."  
"That's Emily Crandall, her mommy is in heaven with your mommy and daddy."

Judy gasped as she glanced at Emily. "Do you miss your mommy like I miss my mommy?"

Emily teared up. "Yes, yes I do, Judy." Helen rubbed her shoulder.

Nancy thought it best to turn the conversation to the reason for the visit and knelt down. "Judy, would you like to see a magic trick?"

Judy's mouth dropped. "Really?" She glanced at her aunts. "May I see it?"

"We all want to see this," said Mary.

"Oh, where are my manners? We haven't been introduced!" exclaimed Edna. Introductions were quickly made as Mary walked over to a shelf and took the clock down. Emily pulled the book out of her purse as Nancy took the clock from Mary. Emily quickly dried her tears and flipped the book open to the first poem. Nancy got situated with the clock before nodding at Emily. Emily nodded back and read off the numbers in the poem. Nancy rotated the hands into place for each number, but nothing happened.

She shook her head. "Next one." Emily read out the numbers and Nancy rotated the hands into position for each. This time, there was a distinct click, followed by a gasp from Judy. Nancy pulled on the little drawer and took out the paper. She handed it to Mary. "Do you want to read it?"

Mary, though obviously surprised, merely shrugged. "Why not." She took the paper from Nancy, opened it, and cleared her throat. But then she stared in shock at the paper. "Well, this is definitely something Josiah would write," she finally said.

"Well, what did he write?" blurted Helen, probably a little too impatiently.

"Yes Mary, what does it say?"

Mary cleared her throat again. "Three minus one is two; And two plus two is four; Ring the bell at three o'clock; You've done this all before."

Edna sighed. "Yup, that totally sounds like something Josiah would write."

"But what does it mean?" asked Helen before looking pointedly at Nancy. Nancy wasn't paying attention, she was thinking about the poems. So far, each poem had four lines each, with the second and fourth lines rhyming. The third line each had something to do with the time, in this case, three o'clock, and the first two always had numbers. She also thought about the times, twelve, six and three. Could the last one be something at nine o'clock? And what did they all mean? Was there another clock they had to find to put those numbers into? "Hello? Earth to Nancy?"

Nancy blinked and realized that everyone was looking at her. She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts."

"Obviously," muttered Helen.

"Did you come up with anything?" asked Emily hopefully.

Nancy shook her head. "Not really, I mean, unless thinking that the next poem we're going to find is going to have nine o'clock in the third line is something."

"Why would you think that?" asked Mary.

Nancy quickly told them about the first two poems and why she came to that conclusion. Marry nodded, clearly impressed.

"Why, I wouldn't have thought of that," said Edna.

"That's why we leave the thinking to Nancy," said Helen, smiling proudly at her friend.

"But we can't let her do all the thinking for us," Emily blurted. "Though, she is better at this than I am."

Nancy chuckled. "It's fine. I'm sure everything will be clearer when we get the fourth poem."

"We've been saying that for the last two poems," said Helen. "Nothing still makes sense."

"Well, maybe if there's something in the deposit box at the bank and the safe at Riverview Manor that could help clear this all up."

"Well, we know the last one has to be the combination needed for the one at the bank," said Helen. "And by the sounds of it, the poem we'll find at Riverview Manor will be for the safe. But the one we found at Lilac Inn and this one? Still not making any sense."

"Well, maybe we should think a little more about it," said Nancy. "Besides, we still haven't been to Riverview Manor, and won't be able to until the Tophams return." She glanced between Mary and Edna. "Right now, I'd like to solve a smaller mystery, the mystery of why the Turners didn't like the Crandalls."

Edna and Mary glanced at each other before looking at Emily. Edna sighed. "It's no mystery, really, I'm sure Emily's already told you exactly why."

"Edna . . ."

"Aren't you tired of this, Mary, aren't you tired of being so full of hate you can't think or see straight? I know I am. I want to get to the bottom of this as much as Nancy. We should have been there for her when her mother passed, and we weren't." She looked at Mary, but when Mary gave no answer, she turned to Nancy. "At first, we really liked the Crandalls. We were really good friends, Anne included. We were there for Gloria and Emily when Scott passed away in that freak accident that killed him. They were there for us when Anne and her husband Greg died in that car crash and we took Judy in. All of us came to like Josiah's presence in our lives. He added something new, refreshing, and bold. He was rich too, that we knew, but we didn't care, the old fellow was fun to be around. Gloria had even suggested that Josiah should get with Mary."

Mary scoffed. "Like that was going to happen. He was a great guy, but too odd for me to live with."

Edna chuckled. "Quite true, but Gloria really just wanted us to be happy, really truly happy, and we wished the same for her and Emily. Then Gloria found out she had breast cancer, and Josiah found out that his heart couldn't take much more. I think, I am beginning to think that might have had a lot to do with it. We had already lost Anne, Greg, and Scott, and now we were losing Gloria and Josiah too? I know I almost couldn't take it. But Gloria was going in for chemotherapy and seemed to be doing well. It was just Josiah we had to worry about, and it didn't help that he was dropping hints about leaving us all something once he had passed away, even the Archers and his only living family, the Tophams. He was definitely ready whenever death came, but we weren't, not yet."

"No, not yet," said Emily sadly. Edna sat down on the other side of Emily and rubbed her shoulder.

"No, not yet, though we all knew it would be sometime soon, he wasn't exactly a spring chicken anymore. He was almost ninety when he passed."

Mary nodded. "Yeah, and then, well, the Tophams arrived."

"You're getting ahead, Mary, it started some time before Josiah passed." She glanced around at her audience. "It was just me, Mary, and Gloria who was visiting Josiah that day. Emily was at school, and Judy was having a playdate with one of her little friends, back when we were living in a better neighborhood." She let out a huff. "Josiah had dropped yet another hint that he was leaving us a good portion of money in his will, but that we should continue to save whatever we could for a rainy day. Gloria scoffed and said that at that rate, she would need two shares. I do believe now that she meant it as a joke, but, we had heard some bad news concerning our rent, and, well, we managed to get it in our heads that she was being serious. We didn't exactly leave on the greatest of terms, but we didn't exactly leave on bad terms either. But, then the Tophams came, and they, well, they pretty much started trying to turn us against each other. It was easy for them to turn us against the Crandalls because of what we perceived Gloria meant."

"The Tophams were stirring up trouble between the four of you?" asked Nancy.

"Wouldn't surprise me," muttered Helen.

"They haven't been stirring up much trouble lately," said Emily slowly.

"Well, if they left town while we were piecing together the clues Josiah left, then they're probably at it again."

"You can't be sure of that, Helen," said Nancy. "Mr. Topham could have needed to go out of town this weekend for work purposes."

Helen huffed. "Fine, whatever, but I still think they're up to something, and I wouldn't put it past Jane to be in cahoots with them."

"Wait, what?" said Edna.

"Who?" said Mary. The girls took turns telling them about everything that had happened after Gloria's death, and why Emily suspected that the person who called herself Jane Willoughby was not the real Jane Willoughby.

"You're sure she couldn't be the real Jane Willoughby and just be not as trustworthy as Gloria thought she was?" asked Mary.

Emily nodded her head firmly. "I'm positive, there's been a few things that didn't sound right, or had too many changes in comparison to what Mom told me."

Mary shrugged. "Hey, as you get older, you can get more forgetful of things that happened in your youth, it happens."

"I don't think so, not with these things," said Emily.

"Come on Mary, let it be. She's been around this Jane longer than we have, and Gloria taught her to have a good head on her shoulders."

"True," said Mary. Everyone's attention was grabbed by a tiny yawn. The little tyke was rubbing her eyes.

Edna walked towards her. "Oh, we need you to eat something before you go to sleep, Judy."

"But I don't wanna go to bed," muttered Judy, still rubbing at her eyes.

"Did she even have a nap today?" asked Mary, glancing at her watch.

Edna shook her head. "I had to take her with me to run errands. And then you had to run out of here like a crazy maniac, waving that rolling pin like a sword when these lovely girls arrived."

Mary huffed. "Alright, fine. Let's get you a quick snack before nap time."

Judy pouted groggily at her. "I don't wanna nap. I wanna visit with Emily, Nancy, and Helen."

"Don't worry, darling, they'll be here when you've finished your nap. Auntie Mary and I invited them over for dinner."

Mary scoffed. "You invited them to dinner, you didn't tell me a thing until they were pulling into our driveway!"

Edna shot her a look. "Because I was trying to avoid the whole rolling pin thing." Mary rolled her eyes, but she picked up Judy and walked into the kitchen. Edna sighed. "Mary thinks that because she's the eldest, she always knows better than I do."

"It's usually the case!" came Mary's voice from the kitchen, followed by a little giggle from Judy. Nancy, Helen, and Emily stifled their own giggles while Edna just rolled her eyes again, though she was clearly amused. The next minute, Mary had walked out of the kitchen, holding Judy, and went down the hall.

"Well, now what? That was pretty quick," remarked Helen as she pulled out her phone to check the time. "It's not even three yet."

"Oh! Miss Turner, may I get a picture of the poem?"

"Of course, dear! And call me Edna, it would be easier." Edna straightened out the paper on the coffee table where Mary had left it as Nancy pulled out her phone. Nancy took a few snaps of the poem before picking her phone up.

She smiled at Edna. "Thanks."

"No, thank you." Edna's eyes began to water. "Without you, there would have been no hope of us being able to continue caring for Judy."

Nancy patted her hand. "I'm glad to be able to help."

"Well," said Mary as she re-enterd the living room, "Judy's out like a light. Hopefully she'll go to sleep at a decent time tonight."

"With us here, that shouldn't be a problem," said Helen confidently.

"I hope so, otherwise you can stay up with her all night until she falls asleep," said Mary. Helen grinned sheepishly.

"Well, why don't we plan dinner, and then we'll talk?" suggested Edna. The plan was agreed to, and Nancy and Helen made a quick run to the grocery store to pick up a few things to go with dinner, plus an extra few days' worth of groceries. The Turners didn't want to accept their generosity, but the girls insisted, and they finally relented. Judy was up a while by the time dinner was being started on, and she got to show the girls her favorite toys, few that there were. They stayed until eight o'clock and helped get Judy to bed before leaving. The ride back was mostly quiet, when they did talk, it was about finding more ways to help the Turners until Nancy could find the will. When they arrived at Lilac Inn, they had begun brainstorming ways to help the Turners and were racking their brains trying to figure out the clues Josiah left.

"There you are!" blurted Jane the instant they walked into the door. The girls noted her worried expression as she walked towards them. "Oh Nancy, your stepmom has been trying to get a hold of you!"

Nancy blinked. "My stepmom?" She thought for a moment. "Oh, you mean Hannah! She's not my stepmom, but why was she trying to get a hold of me?"

"She wouldn't say, just that it was urgent and that you had to call her right away!"

Nancy quickly pulled out her cell phone, and gasped. Hannah had tried to call her numerous times! And no wonder Nancy didn't hear the calls, she had left her phone on silent. She glanced at the four. "Excuse me, I'd better call Hannah back and see what's going on." She hit the dial button as she raced up the stairs to her room.

"Nancy! Oh thank goodness you're alright! I've been trying to get a hold of you!"

"So Jane told me! Sorry about that, Hannah, I had my phone on silent the whole day."

"You need to come home right now."

"What? Why?"

"Someone broke into our house and . . . oh Nancy, we've been robbed!"

(Thank you all for being so patient! I hope you like the story as it continues to progress!)


	9. Stolen Items

After calming Hannah down, Nancy finally got the specifics. Hannah had been out visiting a few friends for lunch and getting groceries when the robbery happened, Togo was with her. She didn't even notice anything was amiss when she returned home until much later, after she had eaten. Carson was staying late at the office,so Hannah knew that she was alone when she heard something fall on the second floor. With a broom in her hands and Togo at her heels, she went upstairs to investigate, and found the second floor in a shambles. She quickly called the police and Carson. The police arrived first and began looking for clues. Carson arrived sometime later, by that time, they had found that several pieces of clothing and jewelry had been stolen. The police couldn't find any clues besides the fact that Nancy's window had been pried open, meaning they suspected that the culprit wore gloves. Carson figured it was best that Nancy came home for a couple of days, and Hannah had been trying to get a hold of her since while Carson was in a phone conference with a client.

"I'll come home right away," said Nancy. "Let me pack my things first and let Emily and Helen know."

"Of course dear, please be careful!"

"I will. See you soon." Nancy hung up the phone and went off in search of Helen and Emily. They were waiting for her in Emily's room. She quickly explained what had happened, and the two jumped up to help her pack.

"But, what are we supposed to do while you're gone?" asked Helen.

"Keep an eye on Jane, and an eye out for that fake ghost, but don't confront either of them until I return, got it?"

"Oh don't worry, I won't," said Emily.

"I definitely won't," said Helen, "and I won't feel safer until you return."

Nancy's eyes widened. "Oh! I have an idea."

"What?" said Emily and Helen as Nancy pulled out her phone. Nancy merely grinned as she dialed a number and waited for the person to pick up.

"Hello? Nancy?"

"Hi Jenny! Do you have a moment? I have a favor to ask of you."

"Of course! Shoot."

Nancy quickly explained the situation and asked that Jenny stay the night with Helen and Emily.

"What?" blurted Jenny. "You've been robbed? That's terrible! I hope the police catch the culprit and gets your things back for you."

Nancy smiled. "Thanks Jenny, I hope so too."

"As for staying at Lilac Inn, well, let me talk to my parents real quick." Jenny had apparently left her phone in her room and walked away from it for a few minutes before coming back. "My parents said absolutely yes. My father also said that if your dad needs any banking advice to give him a call."

"I will do that, thank you so much!"

"No problem! I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Great, I won't be here, so, good luck!"

Jenny chuckled. "Thanks, the same to you!" They ended the call, and Nancy told Emily and Helen about it.

"Oh good," said Helen with a sigh. "At least we have one other girl with us. I still won't feel completely safe until you get back, but at least I'll feel a little better than before."

Nancy chuckled. "Safety in numbers, right? I might even ask Jenny to stay around and help us get to the end of all of this."

Emily smiled. "That would be great! Leave that to me Nancy, I might have her convinced by the time you get back!"

Nancy grinned. "Great! I'd better get going so you can work your magic when she gets here."

Emily snorted as she picked up Nancy's suitcase. "Well, I wouldn't call it magic. Just, don't expect it to work out either."

Nancy picked up her purse and grabbed her backpack. "Alright, I won't, but I should get going."

Helen rushed to the door and opened it. "Good luck, and I hope that, well . . ." Nancy glanced at her, and saw the look of sad understanding.

"You hope what?" asked Emily.

Nancy sighed. "She hopes that none of my mother's jewelry was stolen, even though it's most likely that they were. They were pretty valuable, and not just for sentimental reasons."

Emily gasped. "Oh no! That's horrible! I'm so glad my mother's jewelry is safe with Mr. Archer at the bank. I do hope you get it all back soon!"

Nancy shot her a sad smile. "Thanks Emily." She glanced down the hall to the stairs and let out a huff. "Well, let's find out exactly what they took and see if the police has found anything since Hannah called."

Helen and Emily nodded and followed her down the hall. They gave a quick explanation to Jane on the way out, Emily promising to give her the full story once Nancy was on her way. They loaded the luggage into the trunk and gave Nancy quick hugs before she got into her car and drove away.

On her way back home, Nancy wracked her brain. Was this robbery in any way connected to her trying to solve Josiah's clues and/or Helen's ghostly sightings? If so, was Nancy getting close to something they didn't want her to find out? She did find it odd that only the second floor was hit, regular thieves would have ransacked the entire house, looking for any valuables. She figured that was the first clue that this might be in connection to Lilac Inn. The police may not have found any clues to the identity of the thief, but Nancy needed to look for clues that would connect the theft to the happenings at Lilac Inn. But she also thought it was odd that they would strike at this moment. Maybe it wasn't because she was getting close, maybe they just needed her out of the way? But for what? Nancy pursed her lips as she gripped the steering wheel tighter. She knew something was happening, but she didn't know what, and it was going to drive her crazy.

All thoughts of connecting the theft to Lilac Inn were thrown out as soon as she parked in her driveway. Now she could only think of her family's safety. She merely grabbed her purse and her keys, locked the car, and dashed to the front door.

"Nancy!" Hannah rose from the couch in the living and wrapped Nancy in her arms. Carson followed with a hug.

"How's everything going at Lilac Inn?"

"So far so good, actually," said Nancy. "I've found three out of the four clues Josiah left, we're waiting for the Tophams to return from their short trip to look at their clock."

Carson nodded. "Well, then you have a bit of a break to take care of, well, this." He indicated the officer standing by the fireplace.

"Chief McGinnis!"

McGinnis smiled at her. "Hiya Nancy! Let me just start by saying I prefer coming to your house when you have clues for me, rather than having to come here because you were robbed."

"You and me both," said Nancy with a nervous chuckle.

"Glad we're in agreement on that. Now, your father and Hannah have already given me a list of what's missing, but we wanted to be sure we weren't missing anything from your room. Your father could only be sure, um, about the jewelry."

Nancy gulped, but she nodded. "Alright." She led them up the stairs to her room. She gasped when she entered her room. It was a complete mess! Books and papers were strewn on the floor, drawers had been pulled out, her closet looked half-empty, and her bed was a pile of blankets and pillows. She pursed her lips and glanced at McGinnis with a look of determination. "Is it alright if I touch everything?"

McGinnis nodded. "We've scoured every room for fingerprints or any other clues."

Nancy nodded. "Right, thank you." She walked in and began picking up things. The three adults soon joined her, and in a few minutes, the room was clean and Nancy had a better idea of what was missing. As she had feared, her mother's jewelry had been stolen, along with a few outfits that she had inherited from her mother as well. There was a photo missing, which seemed odd as it was just a picture of Nancy and her Aunt Eloise back when she visited her during Spring Break. To her dismay, she also noticed that several pieces of jewelry that had been presents from Bess and Helen were missing too. But she did notice that everything that had been taken, except for the pearls, had sparkled in the light, whereas some of the more expensive, yet sparkless, pieces had not been taken. She mentioned this to Chief McGinnis.

He rubbed his chin. "Huh, that is odd."

"Very odd, indeed," said Carson. He glanced between Nancy and McGinnis. "Do you think that they had no idea of what to look for? I mean, I'm sure a couple of the pieces Bess and Helen got you were mere costume jewelry, and that doesn't bring as pretty of a penny as pearls or jade. And taking that photo is particularly odd. No one would pay much for that, not even for the frame."

Nancy nodded. "Which is making me suspect this is in connection to Lilac Inn."

"What's going on at Lilac Inn?" asked McGinnis. Nancy filled in the three on what had been going on and what she had found.

Carson smiled proudly at his daughter. "You'll find Josiah Crowley's will in no time!"

Nancy grinned back. "Thanks Dad! But we're still waiting on the Tophams to return on Monday. We'll be heading over on Tuesday to get the final clue."

Carson nodded. "That's good." He turned to McGinnis. "Would you like to stay for a little while and get some dessert?"

McGinnis shook his head. "Nah, I told my mom that I would be home after I talked to Nancy. She does send her condolences and hopes we can return your stolen property to you soon."

"That's very kind of her," said Hannah as they walked to the front door. "But since you can't stay tonight, how about dinner with us tomorrow?"

Carson nodded. "If that's doable for you."

"I'll check with my mom tonight and see if she's up to it. It is getting close to summer now, so her bones should work a little better than they would in the winter. I'll call you as soon as I've gotten her verdict."

"Tell her I'll be backing my famous peach cobbler," said Hannah with a wink.

McGinnis laughed. "That sounds very tempting Hannah, but her bones have the final say."

Carson chuckled. "Sounds good. Thank you for everything, Patrick."

McGinnis shook hands with Carson. "Anything for our best lawyer and his detective-in-training." He grinned at Nancy.

Nancy chuckled as she shook hands with McGinnis. "Thanks Chief."

"Well, if I don't see you tomorrow, and despite what happened today, you three have a wonderful weekend."

"We will!" the three chorused as McGinnis walked to his car. They waved at him as he pulled out of the driveway. It was once they closed the door that Nancy realized something.

"Hannah, where's Togo?"

"Oh, I had to put him in the back, he was going back and forth between greeting every police officer and protecting your room from them. Simply put, he was getting under their feet, and on all of our nerves."

Nancy laughed. "Oh man, I wish I could have been here to see that!"

"Yeah, sure," mumbled Hannah as they walked to the back door and let the little Scottish terrier in. He greeted his mistress joyously before running around her in circles a few times and giving her a good sniff down.

"You smell all those lilacs on me, don't you boy?" Nancy knelt down and petted him.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but as soon as Patrick calls, I'm heading off to bed," said Carson, glancing at his watch.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to make sure every window in this house is secured."

"I'll help you, Hannah."

"I'll find something that will keep Nancy's window closed," said Carson. Nancy and Hannah went around the house, making sure every window was secured, while Carson found a few supplies and fixed Nancy's window, at least until they could get someone in to fix it right.

Once that was all taken care of, and Hannah had locked both doors, the family found themselves sitting on the sofa, waiting for McGinnis' call.

"So, Nancy, have you found any clues as to deny or affirm Emily's suspicions about Jane?"

Nancy shook her head. "I've been focused on getting Josiah's clues together and, well, this happened, so I couldn't focus on taking a good look into Jane's character. I mean, so far she seems alright . . ."

"But what does your instinct tell you?" asked Hannah.

"That something's off about her," said Nancy slowly. "I do think the Tophams were trailing us at the mall at her request."

"But she hasn't done or said anything since then to make her seem suspect?" asked Carson. Nancy nodded. "Well, this might be a tough nut to crack."

"Oh dad, speaking of, could you possibly look into the backgrounds of Jane and the Tophams?"

"To see if they are the real deal, or if they're in financial troubles?" Nancy nodded with a pleading smile. Carson chuckled. "Oh, alright, I'll see what I can do. I can't guarantee getting the results quickly, but I will look into their backgrounds."

Nancy hugged him. "Thanks Dad! You're the best!" The phone rang.

"Ah, that should be Patrick."

"I've got it." Hannah quickly rose from the sofa to answer the phone.

"Hello? Oh hi Patrick! . . . She said yes? That's wonderful!"

Nancy grinned as she gave her father another hug. "Well, I'm heading to bed."

Carson kissed her forehead. "Alright, good night."

"Good night Dad." Nancy rose from the sofa and waved to Hannah. "Goodnight Hannah!"

Hannah waved back before turning to talking on the phone again.

"Come on Togo." Nancy and Togo walked to her room, and Nancy got ready for bed. "You know Togo, I should call Bess and George and see how they're doing." She stifled a yawn. "Well then, guess that's what I'll be doing tomorrow afternoon then, try to work on the three poems we've already found and talk to Bess and George. How's that?" Togo huffed from his bed. Nancy chuckled. "Alright, yes, I need to sleep too. Good night." She turned off the light and crawled into bed, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. It almost seemed to Nancy that she was being woken up only a few minutes later by the sound of her phone ringing. She yawned and stretched before grabbing the phone off her nightstand. She glanced at the caller I.D. and answered it.

"Helen, I haven't even been gone for twelve hours."

"Well, these jerks seem to be working overtime!"

"The ghost came back?"

"Worse. Nancy, one of the tellers who works for Mr. Archer says you checked out all of Emily's jewelry!"

Nancy's eyes popped open and she sat straight up in bed. "Say what?"


	10. Sunday Plans

After a bit of coaxing, Nancy finally got the full story out of Helen. Helen took a deep breath, a sign that Nancy understood to mean that Helen was practically furious, and told Nancy everything Jenny had just told them. Apparently, last night, before Jenny joined Helen and Emily at the Lilac Inn, Mr. Archer came home and told them that it had been an interesting day. He had told his tellers about Nancy working on Josiah's case and had told them that if she were to come into the bank, to show her into his office immediately. During that time, a young woman came in by the name of Jean Grey. She seemed more interested in learning more about Nancy Drew than opening a new bank account. This aroused Mr. Archer's suspicions, and told his employees that only Nancy, Helen, or Emily could get any information. But Jean Grey seemed insistent on learning more about Nancy, until Mr. Archer began calling the police. She ran out of the bank. About an hour later, someone who looked like Nancy came into the bank and said that Emily requested that she take out Gloria's jewelry. The teller had no reason to suspect that this wasn't Nancy and gave her all the jewelry. Mr. Archer was told about it and thought it odd, but gave no more thought to it as Emily was free to do what she wanted with her mother's jewelry and was free to ask her friends to get it for her. He spoke about it at home with his family. Jenny thought it was really weird since they knew the girls were heading to the Turners for dinner. When she got the call from Nancy, she thought about asking, but completely forgot to when she heard about the break-in. It wasn't until they got up this morning that Jenny remembered about Emily's jewelry and told them about it. Helen called Nancy right away while Emily and Jenny called Mr. Archer.

Nancy was sitting up in her bed by the time Helen was finished, eyes wide as she glanced at the place where that picture had been and her closet. This was to try and give Nancy a bad name!

"I don't know what those jerks were thinking, robbing the bank while you were with us! Pretty horrible attempt at framing someone, if you ask me."

Nancy pursed her lips. "I'm beginning to think that they weren't trying to frame me, but that they were sending me a message. They know what's been going on, they're watching us." She drummed her fingers against her chin. "Was the ghost back last night?"

"Yes, she was," grumbled Helen. "And this time Jenny and I both saw her!"

Nancy gasped. "You both did?"

"Yes! She wasn't as bloody as Emily saw her the night before, but it was definitely her."

Nancy cracked a smile. "You don't sound so scared."

"Because I don't think she's really a ghost, like you figured. A real ghost would just vanish into thin air, this ghost ran into the nearby forest."

Nancy chuckled slightly. "That definitely doesn't bode well for our friendly neighborhood ghost."

Helen scoffed. "Definitely, especially once I pointed that out to Emily. She's been thinking the same now, that it isn't a real ghost. She's less afraid of her now, but she is worried that the ghost might try to break in, which is a reasonable concern."

"Oh definitely." Nancy thought for a second before letting out a gasp.

"Nancy?"

"What if our ghost and my imposter are the same person?"

"What?"

"Think about it! This would have to take someone who's either a professional make-up artist or simply really good at cosplaying in order to pull off a convincing ghost and a pretty convincing me."

"You're right! But, we still don't know who it is."

"This is true. But there may be a way to find out. I'll have to think more about it, but, I might be returning with a plan, and I'll need all three of you to help."

"That would be fantastic, we really have no clue what to do."

Nancy chuckled. "Don't worry, for now, just keep looking for clues near the sightings. I don't know yet if I'll be back tomorrow or early Tuesday morning. Either way, I'm definitely going to be there when we head over to the Tophams. I'm not going to miss that."

"Good."

There was a knock at Nancy's door. "Nancy? Time to get up and get ready for church!"

"Oh, there's Hannah. I've got to go. Thanks for the update."

"Of course! I'm not going to let some jerk go around smearing my friend's name like that. Though poor Emily, now she's practically got nothing but the inn! And she's concerned that she might have to sell that!"

"Well we won't let her. We'll find her stolen jewelry, and mine, and Josiah's will, and catch the crooks."

"Pretty tall order, but we've got to do this."

"That's the spirit! Well, I really do need to go now. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright, bye!"

Nancy hung up the phone and quickly got ready for church. She and her father were able to get there with plenty of time before church started. Nancy tried to keep her mind off of the mystery, but her mind just wouldn't keep quiet. There were too many questions she had. She finally managed to wrangle her brain into submission, knowing she would have plenty of time at home to go over every detail. Besides, she still had to call Bess and George.

Carson and Nancy visited with a few people before heading back home. As soon as Nancy got in the door, she raced up the stairs to change and call her two friends.

"Aah, Nancy! We were just thinking of calling you!" came Bess's voice over the line, followed by an ear-piercing squeal.

"Well, if you didn't blow out my eardrums, you definitely blew out Nancy's," said George.

Nancy chuckled nervously as she rubbed her ear before returning the earpiece to it. "You very nearly did. So glad you're excited."

"So, did you get a chance to talk to the handsome Frank Hardy at all this week?" asked Bess rather coyly. Nancy let out a squeak before clamping a hand over her mouth. "You did! You totally did! So, what's the news from the Hardys?"

Nancy told them everything the boys told her.

"Ooh, is Frank opting to start Hardy and Sons as soon as possible to wed you?" cooed Bess.

Nancy groaned. "Bess, Mr. Hardy wants them to finish college before they start Hardy and Sons, and Frank agrees with him."

"Yeah Bess, Frank is the more studious and slightly nerdy one, remember? Joe's more likely to talk like that, but then, that's why you like him."

Bess giggled. "What can I say, they're a couple of hotties! Too bad they're not here at the beach, there are so many handsome men out here. Too bad you couldn't come either, Nancy."

"Speaking of, what have you been up to besides chatting up the Hardys?" Nancy chuckled, then took up the narration of her own mystery. When she got to the part about Deirdre, she heard a fierce growl from George.

"I could wring that girl's neck!"

"And I wish I could be there to comfort you, though it sounds like Helen did a fine job."

Nancy chuckled slightly. "Yeah, and the Hardys did help too."

"What? You talked to the Hardys twice in one week? And we weren't there? Go figure," said Bess with a huff.

Nancy laughed. "Well, let me explain why that was." She continued with her tale, telling them about Emily's ghost, the treasure hunt for Josiah's will, and the most recent additions of the break-in and that someone impersonated Nancy to steal Emily's inheritance.

"What?" blurted George.

"Oh, who would do such a horrendous thing?" exclaimed Bess.

"Someone who wants me off the case, obviously," said Nancy. "I guess they thought the ghost would scare me off at first, but when that didn't seem to work, they broke into my house, stole some of my things, and impersonated me to steal Mrs. Crandall's jewelry."

"But the ghost is still showing up!" said Bess.

"Well yes, I'm not there right now. But Helen is now thoroughly convinced that this ghost simply couldn't be real, and has managed to convince both Emily and Jenny of the same thing, which I'm glad for."

"Well, if there's anyone to convince Emily it isn't a ghost, it would be Helen. But now it seems like you have a lot on your plate, dealing with shape-shifting ghosts, a lost will, and a bunch of mean streaks."

"And it isn't even Halloween!" blurted Bess.

Nancy's eyes widened as she glanced at her closet. Halloween! Of course! Maybe a little cosplay of her own was in order. She pursed her lips. "You are absolutely right."

"I am?"

"She is?"

"Well, of course I am, it's only the beginning of summer break."

"Maybe it's time for the ghost to get a little spook of her own."

George chuckled. "I know that tone, wish I could be there to help you out. What do you have in mind?"

"That I think it's time to pull out my old Halloween costume and give her a scare in kind."

"How in the world can you make Audrey Hepburn look scary?" blurted Bess. "As a matter of fact, why in the world would you want to make Audrey Hepburn look scary?"

Nancy got up from her bed and walked over to the closet. She pulled out a wig of dark curls and turned it over. "I'll probably just use the wig to disguise myself and scope out the place tonight, then get myself a costume and really scare her tomorrow night. Two can play at this game." She began to smile mischievously.

"Oh man, I really wish I could be there with a camera and record you scaring her!" George laughed.

Bess chuckled. "That would definitely be fun to see! Maybe you can have Helen record it and send it to us!"

Nancy's face fell. "I wish I could, but I have a suspicion that Jane Willoughby might be behind all this."

"How could she if you saw the ghost and Jane at the same time!" said Bess.

"Not that she's the ghost, but more like she hired someone to scare Emily into selling Lilac Inn." Nancy pursed her lips. "The only problem with that line of thinking is that not many people will buy Lilac Inn if they knew there was a ghost with it!"

"And there's a chance it could be sold for cheaper than what it's worth," pointed out George.

Nancy nodded. "That too."

Bess chuckled. "Something tells me that whoever's behind this didn't quite think it through."

Nancy laughed. "I think you're right, which means the police and I should be able to catch them. But they're trying to make things harder, which only makes me want to solve this even more."

"You go get them, Nancy!" cheered George.

"But please be careful," said Bess, "I wouldn't want to tell Frank you went and got yourself killed."

"Oh, will you stop being so overdramatic."

"What? I'm being serious!"

Nancy chuckled. "Don't worry, I will go and get them, and I'll be careful at the same time."

"Good. Well, we need to go, sounds like Grandma Sharon has just arrived."

"Oh yeah, we wouldn't want to upset her," said Bess. "Call us soon!"

"No, we'll call her. We've got so much planned over these next few weeks that I think I'm going to be dizzy."

Nancy chuckled. "Well, either way, you two better come back in one piece."

George scoffed. "You better be in one peice when we get back."

Nancy laughed. "Oh don't worry, I will."

"Oh, Grandma Sharon's coming into our room! We'll talk to you later, Nance! Bye!"

"Bye!" said Nancy with a slight chuckle as her friends hung up. She hung up her phone and pocketed it. She glanced at the wig she was still holding. She clenched her teeth with determination before looking at the clothes that remained in her closet. She figured on just changing her top for now, and grabbed a floral-print blouse off its hanger. She then grabbed a red sweater off another hanger and tossed both on her bed. She went to her desk and rummaged through the drawers. "Aha!" She pulled out four LED bracelets. She smiled. "Perfect." She pulled out her phone again and set her alarm for eleven o'clock. She placed it by her bed and let out a breath. Hopefully this would work.

Chief McGinnis and his mother arrived promptly at six o'clock. Dinner went well, despite Togo insisting on everyone giving him attention and food. They visited until almost nine o'clock. Mrs. McGinnis needed to go home and let her body rest. Nancy helped Hannah finish cleaning up while Mr. Drew made everything was well secured. Everyone was in bed by ten o'clock.

Nancy's heart pounded when her alarm went off. Togo merely rolled over and went back to sleep while Nancy cautiously got out of her bed and quickly and quietly changed. She figured on going light, so only took her phone, her keys, the wig, a flashlight, and the LED bracelets. She didn't put her shoes on until she was outside and the front door was relocked. So far so good. She tiptoed briskly towards her car, got in, and prayed it would start quietly. She winced when the engine started, but no lights turned on in the house. She kept her lights off until she had pulled out into the middle of the street.

Nancy parked across the street, and almost a block away from Lilac Inn. She quickly donned the wig and two of the bracelets before turning off her car. She got out and quietly closed the door. She tiptoed towards Lilac Inn, hoping that the ghost would be there tonight. She figured on trying the path the ghost seemed to take, and come in from the woods. She crouched down as she got closer to the inn, the lilac bushes giving her adequate hiding places from any peering eyes from the inn. She was startled to hear some rustling from the other side of the bush. Had she made in time? Was it the ghost? Nancy noticed that whoever was moving around on the other side was getting closer. She bit her lip, a took a soft breath, it was time. She popped the LED bracelets and stood up. She paused as her eyes and the other girl's eyes met. Both of their eyes widened with shock, Nancy's in particular as the girl looking back at her looked like an exact replica of herself!


	11. A Surprise Clue

The impostor took off running into the forest. Nancy was surprised, and didn't follow immediately. The next moment, she was taking off after her adversary. But that moment's hesitation was all the impostor needed and disappeared into the forest. Nancy tried to pick up her trail, but there was nothing to find. Feeling a little disappointed, Nancy returned to her car and practically ripped off the wig in frustration. She almost had the culprit! She hit the steering wheel and let out a breath. Well, there will be a next time, and next time Nancy will be well prepared to catch her adversary. After taking a few breaths to calm herself down, Nancy started up the car, and went home. She went back into the house the way she left, managed to change into her pajamas in the dark, and crawled back into bed. She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, but not without thinking first that she definitely had to get a costume and come up with a better plan to catch the impostor. One more thought hit her right before her eyes gave way to sleep, trying to catch the impostor without anyone else knowing where she was and without back-up was pretty stupid. She needed to work on that.

The next morning, Nancy was up around nine, surprised that Hannah hadn't come to get her yet as breakfast was served at eight in the summer. Nancy let out a yawn before getting out of bed, put on her robe, and walked downstairs. Her father and Hannah had apparently just finished eating breakfast.

"Good morning," said Nancy with a yawn.

"Good morning," said Hannah.

Carson put down his coffee. "How was your little excursion last night?"

Nancy was about to pull out a chair, but she paused and glanced at her father in surprise. He merely took a sip of his coffee. "You, you know?"

"Wasn't hard, you weren't exactly that quiet," said Carson, shooting her a look.

Nancy sighed as she sat down. "I know, I know, it was stupid of me, and reckless. I should have told you. I really don't know why I didn't. I'm sorry."

It was Carson's turn to be surprised. "What's this I hear? Is it possible my daughter is growing up?"

Nancy shot him an annoyed look. "Dad, I've been growing up."

He smiled. "I know, but this is the first time I've heard you admit something was reckless and stupid on your own."

Nancy winced. "Am I being called off the case?"

Carson shook his head. "Absolutely not, you've already made some good progress, why stop now? No, I was trying to decide if talking with the Hardys would be a punishment, though I guess considering them as your babysitters definitely would be."

Nancy gasped. "My babysitters? Dad!"

Carson chuckled slightly. "That's what I thought. You are a very independent-minded and strong-willed young woman, which is a good thing, provided you make the right decisions. I do appreciate that you understand what you did last night was reckless and stupid, so . . . we'll call this strike one. Get to strike three, and I will ground you after you've solved this mystery, understand?"

Nancy bobbed her head vigorously. "Perfectly."

"Good, now, what did you find out last night?"

Nancy told them everything that happened while she served herself breakfast.

Hannah gasped. "Someone's impersonating you?"

Carson's eyebrows furrowed. "An uncanny likeness of you?"

Nancy nodded. "Yes."

"This has to be reported to McGinnis immediately."

"I'll call him after breakfast."

Carson nodded. "Good. Now, either you are getting closer to figuring out their plans than you think, or they're afraid of you figuring out everything before they've had a chance to get away. Point is, they're afraid of you. It's a good thing, and a bad thing."

"How so?" asked Nancy.

Carson raised a finger. "It's a good thing because they're more likely to mess up which will get them caught." He raised a second finger. "It's a bad thing because they might end up going out of their way to harm you. These are criminals, they don't care about the law, until it catches them."

Nancy nodded. "And they don't want the law to catch them.:

"Exactly."

Nancy smiled at Carson. "I promise to be more careful."

Carson stood up and patted her back. "Good. Well, now that that's settled, I should get to work." He kissed the top of Nancy's head. "Good luck on your sleuthing today."

Nancy's smile grew wider. "Thanks Dad. I plan on getting an old costume and scaring her off for good. At least her role as the ghost. I'll have to figure out to scare her completely away from posing as me, but, one challenge at a time."

Carson grinned. "Good to hear. Again, good luck." He turned to Hannah. "And Hannah, be ready to call the Hardys if need be."

Hannah saluted him. "Aye aye, Captain."

Carson rolled his eyes, though a smirk was pulling at his lips. "Thanks." He waved to them both. "I'll talk to you later."

Nancy waved back. "Bye Dad!"

Hannah waved too. "Have a good day at work!"

Carson smiled. "Thanks!" He grabbed his briefcase and left the house.

Nancy quickly finished eating her breakfast and called McGinnis's office. He wasn't in, so Nancy left a message. After she hung up, she helped Hannah clean up.

"Will you just be checking out what Evelyn has, or are you going to try out all thrift stores as well?"

Nancy shrugged. "Depends on what Miss Walters has. If she has what I need, I won't go to the thrift stores. Why do you ask?"

Hannah shrugged. "Oh, just curious. I was planning on going to the mall anyway. I'm in charge of getting prizes for the Book Club this month."

Nancy nodded. The Book Club used to be just for the women of the community who wanted to read and discuss books, but it had expanded to include everyone, though they were still split by age groups. Sometimes everyone in the club would read the same book, or up to five books were done, one per group. The adults were assigned to get prizes for each group, usually for those who had the book mostly finished and participated in the discussion. "I'm pretty sure Miss Walters will have what I need though."

"Great! Well I shall finish up here while you go get dressed."

"Oh, right!" Nancy chuckled and gave Hannah a quick hug before dashing up the stairs to her room and getting dressed. She freshened up, brushed her teeth, and made sure Togo had food and water. The trip to the mall reminded her that she still had to mail the present she got for the Hardy boys. Hannah promised to stop by at the post office on their way back home. A couple of minutes later, the two were on their way to the mall. Once they got there, Nancy and Hannah split up, planning to meet in the food court around noon.

Nancy walked towards the shop with determination and a slight, excited bounce to her step. She caught herself looking around for someone following her, but she quickly shook it off. Who could be following her? The Tophams were out of town. She paused. Or were they? Maybe Isabelle was the one impersonating Nancy! Nancy pursed her lips as she continued walking. But something wasn't right with that notion, even if the Tophams had proved to her that they weren't the most honest of people and were definitely working with Jane to get Emily's inheritance. At least, that's the conclusion Nancy had come to. It was the only logical explanation thus far. Still, Nancy didn't think Isabelle could pull off posing as her, much less posing as anyone else. Was there another member to their party, a fourth member? If so, who was it?

Nancy had to put her musings on hold as she entered Evelyn's Embroideries and Etchings. It was like she had entered another world. The walls were in a pale blue with white symbols of sewing and arts and crafts scattered across the four walls, while the floor was a velvety green carpet. Off to one side were several racks of clothes separated by size, most of which were costumes. The other side was an arch that led into a room full of arts and crafts supplies, a few tables, and a few sewing machines. Nancy smiled as she looked through it. Evelyn taught sewing in that room, Nancy was one of her students a few years back. It was a fun experience. Nancy drew herself away from the arch, and the memories, and went to look at the clothes racks. She found her size and began looking for any clothes that dated back to before the 1950s.

"Nancy!" Nancy turned and smiled before rushing into the open arms of Evelyn Walters. "It's really good to see you! What are you doing back so soon?"

Nancy pulled back from the hug with a huge grin. "I need a ghost costume."

"Anything in particular?"

"Preferably a dress from before the 1950's."

Evelyn pointed at the racks. "Didn't find anything on the racks?"

Nancy shrugged. "Nothing that seemed to pop out at me, or really seemed ghostly."

Evelyn thought a moment before snapping her fingers. "I think I have just the thing. It's in the back. Give me just a minute to dig it out."

"Of course! You're the best!"

Evelyn grinned and winked. "Don't I know it." Nancy laughed as Evelyn dashed to the back of the store. Nancy went to perusing the other items for sale, though her thoughts went to the present for the Hardys that was still in her purse. She smiled, she hoped they would like it.

"Aha, there you are Miss Drew!" Nancy turned at the sound of the voice and was grabbed by a sales associate from another store.

"What? What do you think you're doing? Let go of me!" Nancy wriggled her way out of the man's grip.

"Don't touch her!" came Hannah's stern command. "You leave her alone and explain this nonsense right this minute!"

Nancy let out a breath, Hannah might sound like she's panicking when things were out of order in their house, or stolen, but she was certainly no one to trifle with when Nancy or Carson was in danger or threatened. She was standing in the doorway with a few other sales associates from other stores, but she seemed to be the one in charge with the way she had her hands on her hips.

"But Miss Gruen, she stole merchandise from us!" said the sales associate with a whine. Nancy's eyes widened. What? She stole from them? She blinked as it hit her. Her impostor! Nancy glanced at his name tag and it said his name was Caleb Collins.

"When was this, Mr. Collins?" asked Nancy.

He turned to her, eyes wide. "You see, she did! She knows my name!"

"That's because it's on your name tag," said Nancy with a roll of her eyes.

He blinked and looked at his name tag. "Oh, uh, right."

"Well, are you going to answer her question?" said Hannah as she got closer to Caleb.

"Oh, um, well, um, it was yesterday afternoon, late afternoon, almost evening when she came in. She said her name was Nancy Drew and said that she needed to speak to my manager about some items she purchased there. I went to go get her, but by the time we got back, she was gone, and several pieces of jewelry had been stolen!"

Nancy raised an eyebrow. "How could that be? Don't you keep all the jewelry locked up in those cases?"

Caleb nodded. 'We do! That's the thing, we don't know how you did it!" He glared at her. "So how did you do it?"

Nancy crossed her arms. "I didn't, and I couldn't have, I was at home enjoying dinner with Miss Gruen, my father, Chief McGinnis, and his mother!"

Everyone gasped as Hannah nodded. "And we can vouch for her."

"No Mr. Collins, I'm afraid your jewelry was stolen by the same woman impersonating me to steal my friends jewelry from the bank. Except they know it couldn't have been me because my friends were with me somewhere else!"

"And how preposterous! To think that Nancy would steal a single thing!" came Evelyn's voice as she joined the group. "I knew it wasn't her the instant she stepped into my store!"

Nancy gasped as she turned to Evelyn. "Did she steal anything from you?"

Evelyn shrugged. "I don't see why she would have, nothing worth a pretty penny here, not like jewelry. She probably got away with a couple of trinkets, but I was watching her fairly closely."

"But, but you would know it was Nancy Drew!"

"But I know it wasn't!" Evelyn snapped. "And now if you will be so kind as to let me explain how I know . . . for starters, I have been tailoring Nancy's clothes for years, I know her measurements." She pointed to a couple of signs by the door. "I also know that whoever is taller than those signs has to be over five foot four, like Nancy is. The woman who came in claiming to be Nancy had to have been five two or five three, easily. Not only that, but she had the wrong face shape and the wrong body shape too."

Nancy let out a squeal. "That's the best clue ever Miss Walters!"

Evelyn winked. "Don't I know it!"

"What is going on here?" boomed a voice. Everyone turned just in time to see the arrival of a couple of officers and the chief of police.

"Chief McGinnis!"

"Oh, I'm so glad you're here!" said Caleb as he walked towards him. He turned and pointed at Nancy. "Arrest that thief!"

McGinnis sighed and rubbed his temples. "There's a reason why we haven't arrested her. She's completely innocent!"

"But, but . . ."

McGinnis looked at Caleb square in the eye. "Are you going to let me do my job or not?"

"I, I, I . . . yes sir."

"Thank you. I cleared Miss Drew once I got in the office this morning. I was at her house last night. That, and I know her, she wouldn't do this. She's in the crime-fighting department, not the crime-committing department. We've already figured out this is in connection with a case she's working on for a friend of hers." He crossed his arms and glanced at Nancy. There was a slight, mischievous twinkle to them. "Though, if they wanted to scare you off or get you arrested, they should have come up with something a little better than this. At the rate they're going, they might as well give themselves up."

Nancy grinned at him and nodded. "Dad thinks so too."

"Good. Now I recommend everyone get back to work, we're already on the trail of this thief and hope to have her captured." He paused and glanced at Nancy, thinking. "Maybe by the end of this week? Maybe a little later, but we will get them, we promise."

A few mumbled, "thank you Chief," before returning to their stores. Caleb glared at Nancy before following them out.

"Well, that was fun," said Evelyn drily.

"Oh, Chief! Miss Walters has some information you could use!"

McGinnis glanced between Nancy and Evelyn. "Really? OK then, end of the week for sure." He wagged his finger at Nancy. "I'm counting on you."

Nancy grinned. "I'll do my best."

"Good. Now about this information." Evelyn gave them everything she had picked up about the impostor, and once they double-checked to make sure they had all the information correct, McGinnis and his officers left.

Evelyn then gave Nancy the dress. "Here, I know this will fit you, but is it what you were looking for?"

Nancy gasped as she fingered the floral-print dress. It looked like it came off the Titanic. "It's perfect! Thank you!"

Evelyn smiled. "Wonderful, I expect this back in tip-top shape."

Nancy smiled. "Yes ma'am!"

"Now, if you don't mind my asking, what's this for?"

Nancy's eyes twinkled merrily. "I'm going to give my impostor the scare of her life."

(Thanks to Drumboy100 for reviewing and suggestions!)


	12. The Fourth Clock

On the way home, Hannah stopped at the post office as promised, and Nancy sent off the present to the Hardys along with a little note. For the rest of the ride home, Nancy was looking through the pictures of the clues they had found so far. The second one had been fairly easy, it did pertain to the numbers of Josiah's safe deposit box at the bank. But she did notice the animals, cat and dog. In the third poem, the first two lines were math problems, and if the previous two had been any indication, the numbers listed had to pertain to a number lock. Or maybe something else clock-related, as Josiah did with the book of poems. Was there perhaps another clock to open? She drummed her fingers on the arm rest while she thought. She might need to know more about Josiah Crowley.

"What are you looking at?" asked Hannah.

"The poems we found in the clocks," replied Nancy.

"May I hear them?"

"Of course!" Nancy read them to Hannah, starting with the one they had found at the Turners, since that was the one she had been looking at, and ended with the one they found at Lilac Inn.

"A hole in one, eh? Kind of like golf?"

Nancy gasped. "Hannah, you might be onto something!"

Hannah grinned. "Glad I could help."

As soon as they got home, Nancy dashed up the stairs with the costume. She hung it in the closet before dialing Helen's number.

"Nancy, when are you going to be back?"

Nancy chuckled. "A simple hello will do, Helen"

Helen sighed. "Alright, hello. Please hurry back, Jane's got us working nonstop!"

"What?"

Emily's voice came on the line. "No she isn't. You're just so bored that you'd rather be doing anything but helping out!"

"Besides," came Jenny's voice, "she really needs our help. Business seems to be booming!"

Nancy gasped. "Really?"

"Yes!" chorused Jenny and Emily. Helen grumbled.

"Well, that's great!"

"But seriously Nancy, when are you coming back?" asked Helen.

"Tomorrow morning."

"Really?" moaned Helen.

"Why tomorrow? Why not come back now?" asked Jenny.

"Well, there are a couple of reasons." She then told them that her imposter had struck again and revealed everything she had found out at the mall.

"What? Why that no-good, rotten little pipsqueak!" blurted Helen. "I'm going to ring her neck!"

"Why Helen!" blurted Emily.

"You can barely pick up a tray of dishes, so how do you plan to do that?" quipped Jenny. Emily and Nancy burst out laughing while Helen grumbled.

"Guess we've found a companion for George in the sarcastic department," she mumbled.

"George?" said Jenny.

Nancy laughed. "George Fayne, she's a good friend of ours, and yes, George really is her name. There's a whole story behind it that I think it would be better if she told it. She's tomboyish to boot, so it fits her well."

"Oh! Well, now I must meet this George Fayne so I can hear about the story of her name!"

Nancy chuckled. "We'll be sure to introduce you once her family gets back from their family reunion."

"I look forward to it."

"Great! Now, the other reason why I'm not coming today is because I might have to do research on Josiah's hobbies ."

"I beg your pardon?" said Emily.

"I was reading the poems out loud to our housekeeper, Hannah, and she caught something. A hole in one is a golf term!"

"Wait, what?" said Emily. Nancy read the poem out loud.

"Oh!" they chorused.

"You are right! One of Josiah's favorite places to be was Moonlit Gest Mini Golf!"

Nancy grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and wrote down the name. "Is there anything else you can think of?"

There was a slight pause on the other end of the line before Emily replied. "He was a big fan of Shakespeare, mini golf, like I said, cats, poetry, treasure hunts, obviously, radio, well, he liked acting and dressing up of any kind, and he liked us. That's as much as I can think of." There was a slight pause. "Nancy, do you think he left a clue at Moonlight Gest Mini Golf?"

Nancy shrugged. "It's a possibility. I think we should pay a visit this week. Say, tomorrow, after we take care of the clock at the Topham's?"

"That could work, Jane gave me the day off tomorrow."

"Us, she gave us the day off tomorrow," said Helen.

Nancy laughed. "Oh come on Helen, think of this as practice for when you and Bess open up your own fashion store!"

Helen scoffed. "Taking care of clothes is different than serving food, Nancy, by a long shot."

Jenny laughed. "I think I agree. But I think Nancy was talking about how to handle certain, ah, um, stubborn people?"

"I can refuse them service, it's my business after all," said Helen with a distinct huff. "Maybe people will learn to be nicer."

Nancy sighed. "If that were the case, we wouldn't be trying to catch my imposter, who's also a thief."

"Oh right! And then you'd have no mysteries to solve! Hmm . . . OK, some people need to learn how to be nice. Criminals don't have to so Nancy and the Hardys can still solve mysteries." Emily and Jenny laughed.

Nancy laughed too. "Oh, thanks Helen."

"No problem."

"Oh, there's Jane, we need to go. I'll see if I can think of anything else Josiah liked. I might have to rummage through my mom's stuff for some hints."

"We'll help," said Jenny.

"Sounds more fun than working with Jane anyhow," mumbled Helen.

"Thanks! I hope to have a full report from you tomorrow morning. See you then!"

"Bye Nancy!" they chorused before hanging up. Nancy bit her lip as she placed the phone on her dresser. She didn't tell them about her plans for that night. Well, maybe her father and Hannah could help with that. She looked at her dress, and in a way, she couldn't wait.

Later that evening, she was sitting in her father's car, parked in the same place she had parked the night before. She had the whole costume on now, having put a few final touches to it with Hannah's help. Carson was getting the binoculars focused.

"There, I think I'm all set now. I don't see anyone outside just yet."

"That's fine, I'll still wander around the property for a bit. I'll move like a real ghost and be as quiet as possible so as not to wake anyone."

Carson chuckled. "You'd better, wouldn't want anyone to wake up and see the whole thing."

Nancy glanced at him. "That's why I'm in costume. Besides, if Helen sees it, she'll recognize this wig right away. She helped me put it on for Halloween."

"Let's wait a few more minutes to make sure your imposter or that ghost is coming tonight. If not, you can still walk around, maybe get her attention."

Nancy nodded. "Alright." They waited the allotted time before Nancy was dashing quietly across the street. Neither the ghost nor the imposter showed up, though both Carson and Nancy agreed it had to be the same person. Nancy walked around the property, looking for any clues, but returned to the car empty-handed and dejected.

"Well, so much for that," she mumbled as her father started up the car.

Carson shrugged. "You don't always find them the first time around."

She sighed. "I know, but I really don't have much to go on! Sure, what Miss Walters gave us was great, it still doesn't provide with much to go on."

"It's enough for Chief McGinnis to being a record search. If he doesn't find anything, then we know this has got to be someone who's been working under the radar for years."

"Then there must be someone somewhere with some information on these guys," said Nancy. "Especially since they're acting like they've done this before."

"They're acting like they've done this before? Nance, they have done this before. This racket is so well thought out that we might not have seen it coming had Emily's jewelry not been stolen by your imposter."

Nancy nodded slowly. "The day we were finding the clues to Josiah's will."

Carson looked thoughtful as he turned on their street. "Hmm, they might be thinking that you'll find Josiah's will in no time, and once you do, they're going to make off with all the money."

Nancy pursed her lips and her eyes flashed with anger. "Not if I can help it. I'll prolong finding Josiah's will if I have to so we can nab the crooks!"

"Remember, be careful. It's because you've gotten so far in finding Josiah's will that they fear you too. They've noticed you're smart, and are doing their best to throw you off their scent."

Nancy looked at him, determination and defiance in her eyes. "Well, they can try, but I'm going to hang on tighter than a bulldog!"

Carson parked the car in the driveway and turned off the engine before looking at his daughter with pride. "Be careful though, they could take you with them."

Nancy pulled off her wig and shook her head. "I'd like to see them try."

Carson chuckled. "I'd like to see them try too. Come on, you have a busy tomorrow, best get up bright and early."

Nancy's eyes sparkled as she shot her father a grin. "I can't wait either!"

Nancy was back at Lilac Inn early the next morning. Helen, Emily, and Jenny ,practically toppled her over in their relief to see her.

"I'm so excited! Today we get the final clue to Josiah's will!" Emily squealed.

Nancy laughed. "I'm glad that's put you in such a chipper mood this morning!"

Jenny scoffed. "Are you kidding? She's been chipper all weekend! The news about her mother's jewelry toned it down."

Emily pursed her lips. "Yeah, that, that really dampened the mood."

Nancy placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find your mother's jewelry, and mine. We have to." Emily nodded with determination. "Now, let's see if we can't find that will!"

The girls quickly sped towards Josiah's house in Nancy's car. Jenny complimented the car the entire way, while showing disappointment that she didn't have one yet, but showing anticipation that she would on her sixteenth birthday. But then her attention was drawn towards Josiah's house when Nancy pulled into the driveway. Nancy and Helen in particular oohed and aahed over the Victorian structure.

"It looks like the Tophams spiced it up a little," said Helen as they got out of the car.

"Oh yeah," said Jenny.

"What do you mean?" asked Helen as the group began walking towards the front door.

"Oh, there's more color in the garden. Josiah paid more attention to other things than gardening, obviously," explained Emily. She turned to Nancy. "Sorry about not finding anything else in my mother's things."

Nancy shrugged. "It's alright, we might find more here anyway." She stepped forward and rang the doorbell. Isabella opened the door and smiled warmly at them.

"You're just in time, perfect! Oh, hello Jenny!" Jenny waved. "Why are you here, if you don't mind my asking?"

Jenny shrugged. "Well, had nothing else to do, and this seemed exciting, so, here I am."

Isabella nodded. "Fair enough. Come on!" She led them into the living room. "Father, they're here!"

Richard Topham rose from a chair with a great big grin. "Ah, thank heavens! Finally, we can find Uncle Josiah's will! I sometimes feel like Uncle Josiah sent you to us, he was so tired of waiting!" he said as he grasped Nancy's hand.

Nancy chuckled as she shook hands. "I would be surprised." She glanced at the mantle. "Is that the clock?"

Richard walked over to the clock and took it down. "Yes, it is. Eager to get to the bottom of this, I see."

Nancy's eyes sparkled. "Oh yes, treasure hunts are such fun! Besides, the faster I can find the will, the sooner money can be given to the people who desperately need it."

Richard nodded. "Good point. Here you go." He handed Nancy the clock.

Nancy turned o Emily. "Numbers please."

Emily pulled the poem book out of her purse. "Seven four eight three seven."

Nancy rotated the clock hands for each number and the secret compartment popped open. She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Richard. "Would you like the honors?"

He smiled. "My pleasure!" He took the paper and opened it up. He blinked a few times before clearing his throat. "I am so glad you're here to solve this. I can't make heads or tails of this!"

"If it's anything like the others, well, yeah, that's apparently Josiah's way," said Helen.

Richard shrugged. "I guess so. This just seems harder than his previous treasure hunts."

"What does it say, Daddy?"

"Oh good ones do not reprehend; Else five and eight a liar call; Naught but dreams at nine o'clock; So goodnight unto you all."

"OK, yeah, this one takes the cake," said Helen.

Richard glanced at Nancy. "What do you think?"

Nancy's mind was racing. There were the four numbers for the safe in the house, but, should she bring that up if they didn't quite trust the Tophams? But then another thought hit her and she snapped her fingers. "Shakespeare!"

"What?" the others chorused.

"This kind of sounds like Shakespeare! I think, I'm not quite sure, it's been a while. Josiah liked Shakespeare, right?"

"That he did!" said Richard, impressed.

"Yeah, I told you that yesterday," said Emily.

"Well then, I think we have our work cut out for us. The first clue seems to point to a mini golf course, and this one to Shakespeare, I just have to figure out the other two."

"Well, seems like you're off to a good start. Might we keep this clue here?" Nancy glanced at him. He was the first one to suggest keeping the clue when she had suggested it for the other three. He noticed her look and shrugged. "We might find something here, you never know."

She nodded. "That's a good point. I can take a picture of it." She pulled out her phone and snapped the picture.

"So, now what?" asked Jenny.

"Now we take the poems back to Lilac Inn and try to figure out what the other two poems could take us, and then we go play some mini golf."

"That sounds good. I do have a meeting to get to, so you ladies have a wonderful day!" said Richard as he walked with them back to the front door. Nancy noted how he seemed to want to get them out of there.

But she smiled. "Right, of course, wouldn't want to keep you waiting. May we come back and take a look around the house? Josiah could have left another clue."

Richard thought a moment. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea. But not today, obviously, and definitely not tomorrow. I think Thursday might be best. I'll call the Inn later and let you know."

Nancy smiled. "Thanks!"

"No, thank you!" With a wave, the Tophams bid the girls goodbye. The girls waved and said goodbye back before walking to Nancy's car. But as they were leaving Riverview Manor, Nancy couldn't help but wonder if there really was a meeting, and if they should come back when the Tophams weren't around.

(Sorry about the late update! I really wanted that last clue. Updates are going to be slow also because I'm writing an original novella to be published on Amazon later this month. Thanks for waiting, and I hope you enjoy!)


	13. Mini Golf

"So, now what?" asked Helen as they drove away from the house.

Nancy thought a moment until she came to a stop at a red light. "Well, how does a game of mini golf sound?"

Emily gasped. "Are we going to Moonlight Gests?" Nancy nodded.

"What? Why?" blurted Helen.

Emily grinned. "There might be clues there!"

Nancy nodded as the light turned green and she switched her foot to the excelerator. "That's right!"

"But, didn't you just tell Mr. Topham that we were going to Lilac Inn first, and then go mini golfing?" said Jenny slowly.

"I guess Helen and Emily didn't told you yet, but we think the Tophams were following us when we went to the mall. We were able to lose them on the way to lunch and Emily was able to tell us about the Caldwell legend. So I figured that by telling them we were going to the Inn first that they wouldn't think of following us to get the clues we might find at Moonlight Gest."

"Oh, that makes sense," said Jenny.

"But why would there be clues at a mini golf course?" asked Helen.

Nancy shrugged. "It does say in the first poem a hole in one."

"But that's spelled w-h-o-l-e, not h-o-l-e," said Helen as she crossed her arms. "Besides, what about the rest of it?"

"Well, when four quarters become whole, it's more than likely referring to the moon, four quarters, or four parts I should say, that come together to make a whole moon."

Helen gasped and her eyes widened. "Oh! Moonlight!"

Nancy shot her a grin. "Exactly."

Emily bounced in her seat. "And I'm sure they would do anything for Josiah! He was their best customer!"

Helen turned in her seat and glanced curiously at Emily. "How do you know that?"

Emily smiled absently. "Josiah said so himself, and now that I'm thinking about it, I really do believe he meant for us to go there!"

"Yeah, but, can any of us get a hole in one?" asked Jenny. "I know I can't."

Helen scoffed. "I definitely can't, sports really isn't my thing."

Emily chuckled sheepishly. "Mom and I really never went golfing, even though Josiah did ask us to on several occasions." Everyone glanced pointedly at Nancy as she came to a stop at a red light. She took the brief moment to glance at each of the girls.

"What?"

"You're going to have to get a hole in one, Nancy," said Helen. "None of us can do it."

"Well what makes you think I can do better than any of you?" blurted Nancy, slightly annoyed. "I've only played mini golf once!"

Helen gasped. "What? I thought George dragged you out to every sport she played!"

"She did," said Nancy as she moved her foot to the excelerator now that the light changed back to green. "And that was the only game I played. She didn't like it as much as she thought she would, so we've never gone back."

Helen threw her hands in the air and groaned. "Great, we're going to be spending a whole lot of money just to find the next clue!"

Jenny leaned forward and patted her back. "Don't worry, I'm sure one of us will get it, eventually."

Helen groaned again. "Yeah, next year."

Nancy looked out the front, her face set with determination. "We don't have until next year, so we'll do what we can." She glanced at Helen with a mischievous glint. "Maybe you can convince some handsome fellow to get our holes in one for us."

Helen's mouth dropped and her eyes widened. "Oh! You're right, maybe I could!"

"Now that's a brilliant idea!" blurted Jenny.

Emily gasped. "But, are you sure? There might not be anyone there who can get a hole in one!"

"You bring up a good point, Emily," said Nancy, "but it's a risk we have to take. We have got to find Josiah's will ASAP."

Helen and Jenny nodded firmly. Emily glanced between them before she too nodded. "Yes, we must. Now, let's just hope there is someone at Moonlight Gests that can get us a hole in one."

Helen let out a breath. "Yeah, let's."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," said Nancy firmly. A minute later she was pulling into the driveway of Moonlight Gest.

"Huh, kinda looks Shakespearean," said Helen as the girls got out of the car.

"That would explain why this was Josiah's favorite mini golf course," said Emily.

"Go figure," muttered Jenny.

"Well, let's find out if we can even get a hole in one on any of the holes, and if not, try and find someone who's willing to help," said Nancy. She led the four into the lobby.

"Whoa, this is based on Shakespeare!" blurted Helen when they stepped in. Cardboard cut-outs of characters from select plays stood around the room while a large picture of William Shakespeare himself was showcased on the far side of the room.

"This is kinda cool," said Jenny. "Have never read Shakespeare though."

Emily walked over to a display case and gasped. "Nancy!"

The group rushed towards her. "What is it?" asked Nancy.

Emily pointed. A few lines from Shakespeare were displayed under a map of the golf course. "Two things, first off, that last poem was Shakespearean! And secondly, hole number four is based on A Midsummer Night's Dream! That was Josiah's favorite play!"

Nancy rubbed her chin as she thought. "Then maybe that's the only one where we have to get a hole in one."

"If it's just one, that's a whole lot better than trying to get all eighteen," said Helen with a sigh of relief. "Still going to be hard to get that one though."

"Well, let's look around and see if anyone can help us get that hole in one. If not, we're going to have to take a crack at it ourselves and hope for the best," said Nancy.

"Hold on, Nancy, Helen, Emily?" The girls swung around at the mention of their names and their mouths dropped.

"Don, Richie?" blurted Helen as they practically dashed to the counter. "What are you two doing here?" Dark-haired Don Cameron and Naive American Richie Farnham were two of their classmates, and were standing behind the counter. Richie's mother was Mr. Drew's secretary, so he and Nancy grew up together and were more like siblings. Don was well-known as the captain of the baseball team and for having a crush on Nancy, which annoyed her, but that hadn't stopped the two from becoming friends, for the most part.

Richie pointed to his name badge. "We work here, duh."

Don picked up a towel and began wiping the counter as if to emphasize that. "Yup, we got summer jobs here."

"Is this your first year here?" asked Nancy.

Richie crossed his arms. "You would have found out about it last year if I was working here."

Nancy grinned, thinking of his mom. "That's true."

Don leaned on the counter. "So, what brings you lovely ladies here today?" He tilted his head at Jenny. "And I don't recognise you."

Jenny held out her hand. "Of course you haven't, I go to a different high school. I'm Jenny Archer, my dad is the banker who takes care of Emily's account."

"Ah," said Don as he shook her hand. "Well, I'm Don Cameron, and this my best friend Richie Farnham."

Jenny shook hands with Richie. "Nice to meet you both."

Richie smiled. "Nice to meet you too."

Don turned back to Nancy. "So, you four just out for some fun, or is there a particular reason?"

"We are out for fun, but there is a particular reason for why we came here specifically." She pointed to Emily. "It has to do with her inheritance. Is there someone here we can talk to about Josiah Crowley?"

The boys blinked at her. "Josiah Crowley?"

"Wasn't he that old eccentric guy who passed away a year ago?" asked Richie.

Emily nodded sadly. "Yeah, yeah that was him. He said he came here a lot, and we thought that there might be a clue here."

"What makes you think that?" asked Don. Nancy pulled up the picture of the poem and read it out loud. Their mouths dropped. "Whoa, that's, that's pretty specific," said Don.

"Wait until you hear the one we just found," said Nancy. She read the Shakespearean one out loud. The boys' mouths dropped even further.

Helen nodded. "I know, right?"

Richie glanced at Don. "I'm getting Mr. Quincey." He quickly ducked under the counter and dashed off down the hall.

Nancy turned to Don. "So, how did you two end up with this job?"

"Two of Mr. Quincey's employees needed the summer off for their honeymoon, and well, he gave it to them. He put out an ad for the jobs at various TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers. Richie heard it, we decided to apply and he decided to hire us." Don shrugged. "That's basically it."

Helen shook her head. "Wow, what a coincidence."

Don glanced at each of the girls, scratching his head. "Yeah, though a rather odd one, if you ask me."

"Very odd," agreed Jenny.

"Hey Nance!" The group turned, there was Richie coming back to them with an elderly gentleman, who he quickly introduced as Mr. Quincey. The girls were quickly introduced to him before he spoke.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," he said with a slight English accent. "But what is this about clues to Josiah Crowley's will?"

The girls took turns explaining the whole thing to Mr. Quincey, ending with Nancy showing him each of the poems. His eyes widened as Nancy explained their reasoning behind figuring some of them out.

"You are absolutely amazing! I would have never thought of it that way!"

Nancy waved it off. "Oh, it was just a matter of looking at from a different angle."

Don scoffed. "Right." He turned to Mr. Quincey. "Nancy's the smartest girl in all of River Heights!"

Nancy became flustered. "Now you're exaggerating! There are several girls who are smart!"

Richie glanced pointedly at Don. "Can we keep it to Mr. Crowley's will?"

Don huffed. "Yes we can."

"Thank you."

Mr. Quincey smiled at Don. "I appreciate your enthusiasm in highlighting Nancy's qualities, Don, but from the tale they just told me, there was plenty of proof of her intelligence." He turned to Emily as he pulled out a ball from his back pocket and handed it to her. "And I think I now know why Josiah requested I keep this until I heard the first poem."

"A ball?" asked Helen as she and Jenny crowded around Emily to see it.

"It's a special golf ball Josiah had made. You're supposed to hit it into the fourth hole. Come on, I'll show you. Don, grab a club please." Don nodded and grabbed a club. The group followed Mr. Quincey past the first three Shakespearean themed holes to the fourth one.

"Whoa, look at that clock!" blurted Helen. To the far side of the fake woods stood an antique grandfather clock.

"A gift from Josiah," said Mr. Quincey as he walked up to it and touched it gently. "He wanted it to be near the Midsummer Night's Dream hole, adding his own little touch, you could say."

"It looks like it belongs, and yet, at the same time, it doesn't," said Jenny.

Mr. Quincey nodded. "That was the point. You're supposed to feel that way in A Midsummer Night's Dream too." He gave the clock one little pat before rejoining the group. He pointed at the tee. "Put the ball there, please."

"O-oh, b-but I-I've never played mini golf before," stammered Emily as she placed the ball on the tee.

Mr. Quincey smiled. "That's alright. Don, why don't you take the shot."

Don nodded as he came forward. He was holding the club like a bat, but he flipped it around with an easy movement. He paused a moment to look over the path to the hole before getting himself ready for the swing. He glanced over the path again before taking the swing. They watched almost breathlessly as the ball practically flew towards the hole. It fell in. The girls cheered and Don bowed. Nancy became quiet when she thought she heard a soft click.

"Wait! Sh! Do you hear something?" The others became still and listened intently. Another click. "There it is again!"

"What is it?" asked Helen.

"Where's it coming from?" asked Richie.

Emily shrieked. "Look at Puck!" Everyone's heads swiveled and looked at the statue of the faun from A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was moving! Nancy dashed towards it.

"Wait, Nancy!" blurted Don as the others followed. Nancy stopped right in front of the statue as it stopped moving. She glanced down and gasped. The statue had moved to reveal a hole in the floor! The others arrived on the scene as she crouched down and thrust her hand into it. She felt around for a bit and pulled out a drawstring bag. She opened it and pulled out a silver key with the moon engraved on the back.

"Why, that was one of Josiah's keys!" blurted Emily.

Nancy handed her the key. "Do you know what it unlocked?"

Emily shook her head as she turned it over in her hand before handing it back to Nancy. "I have no idea. I only noticed it was missing a few months before his passing, and when I asked him where it was, he only said . . ."

"'Time will tell,'" the girls chorused. They laughed.

Emily nodded. "He's pretty predictable, huh?"

Nancy chuckled. "Not too predictable, otherwise you wouldn't need my help to find his will."

"Touche," said Emily with a snicker.

"But what does it open?" asked Helen.

Nancy held up the key and looked at it intently. "Only one way to find out."

(Thank you all for being so patient! Unfortunately, I was not able to finish my story that I wanted to submit in the Amazon contest, I wanted to put a little more love into it. :) But Find the Prince: Begin the Game is still going to happen! It's just going to take a little longer than I had anticipated. I do hope to have it published in either December or January, we'll see how life goes. And I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!)


	14. Yet Another Clue

"Hey, that looks like one of the keys to the employee lockers!" blurted Don.

The girls glanced at each other. "Well, that's good," said Nancy slowly.

"But are you sure?" asked Jenny. "It looks like one of the keys used for the lockboxes at my dad's bank!"

"Well, we're here now," said Nancy, rising. "We can check if it belongs to one of the lockers before heading to your dad's bank."

Mr. Quincey rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, we could check to see if it belongs to one of our lockers," he said slowly, "though I'm of the opinion that Miss Jenny is right and this belongs to her father's bank."

"May I ask why you would say that?" said Nancy.

"Because I'm pretty sure all of those keys are accounted for. The only thing Josiah left with me was that special ball. I mean, we can still check them pretty quickly, just in case, but I'm positive that key doesn't belong here."

Nancy shrugged. "Well, let's hurry up and check, just to say that we did check it and leave no doubt in our minds."

Mr. Quincey nodded. "Fair enough. Follow me please." The group followed him to the employees room. Nancy handed him the key, and he went around trying the key in each lock with the teens following. None of them opened.

Don snapped his fingers. "I was so sure that key opened up something here. It looks remarkably like our keys to the lockers!" He pulled out his key to show them.

"Wow!" said Jenny, her eyes widening. "You're right, they are very similar!"

Nancy thought a moment. "Mr. Quincey, are there any other lockers, or anything locked that doesn't have a key?"

Mr. Quincey shook his head. "I have all the keys that I didn't hand out to my current employees."

Nancy nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Quincey, you've been a great help. Now we'll go try the bank."

Don grabbed her arm. "You'll, um, you'll let us know what you find?"

Nancy pulled her arm away. "I'll think about it."

"Please Nancy!" blurted Richie, his hands pressed together and giving her his best puppy eyes. "I really want to help!"

Nancy blinked in surprise at him, but then laughed. "Oh, alright, I'll let you both in on it." She grinned. "Having a posse of my own might turn out for the best."

"Then let's exchange numbers," said Don, pulling out his phone.

"Alright, let's make it quick." The girls quickly exchanged their numbers with the boys before dashing off to the car.

Emily squealed as Nancy pulled away from the minigolf course. "I think we're finally getting somewhere!"

"It certainly seems like it," said Nancy with a smile. "Jenny, can you call your dad and let him know we're coming?"

"On it!" said Jenny before getting out her phone and calling her father. She quickly explained to her father what was going before hanging up. "He said he'll be waiting for us."

"Good, thank you."

"We still have three other clues to figure out," said Helen. "How are we going to figure those out?"

Nancy took a quick glance at Emily in the rearview mirror. "Is there anything else about Josiah that you remember? Any other favorite places?"

Emily thought long and hard on that one. "I'm not remembering anything else in particular."

"What was the third poem about, anyway?" asked Jenny.

Nancy came to a stop at a red light, pulled out her phone, and put in her password. "Here, Helen, you can read it to her. Heck, maybe even reading them all again will help us, and maybe Jenny will notice something we've missed."

Helen nodded as she took the phone and began scrolling through the pictures. "Got it." She read each poem out loud, starting with the most recent one they found, the one from Riverview Manor, and ending with the one they found at Lilac Inn. The four sat in silence for a while after Helen read the poems, each to her own thoughts, and thinking hard about the clues, Nancy in particular. The first one they figured out led them to Moonlight Gests MiniGolf, the fourth one was definitely Shakespearean. Did they have to go to a theater? Maybe she should look up the local theaters and see if there was, or had been, any Shakespearean plays that was performing around the time of Josiah's death. But the other two? The second one had cats and dogs. A shelter or a vet clinic? And the third one was all about math problems, along with a bell. Ring which bell at three o'clock? Or was it only figurative and they didn't have to ring a bell, which would not have been hard as there were only two churches in River Heights with bells. She let out a soft, exasperated breath. Josiah's riddles were a little harder each time she looked at them. Especially now that she was finding more clues. So maybe the poems were meant for two clues? The first poem lead them to the key, the second poem was the number combination lock on his box in the bank. The fourth poem had to be for the number combination of his safe at Riverview Manor. So, what about the third one? Wouldn't the fourth one make more sense for something else since the third one was mainly about numbers and the fourth was obviously about Shakespeare? Nancy snuck a glance at Jenny in the rearview mirror. Maybe having someone else take a look at them would help, like Hannah did. Her eyes widened. "Oh!"

The other three glanced at her in shock.

"What? What is it?" asked Helen worriedly.

"Maybe I should ask Frank and Joe about the poems! Maybe they can think of something we haven't!" Emily and Jenny glanced at each other, blinking in confusion, while Helen was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Yes! I like this idea!"

Nancy shot her a little glare. "We are not going to contact them so you can gush about your ship. We are only going to ask for help."

Helen giggled. "Any time you contact them is a chance for me to gush about it. You can't stop me from thinking that you and Frank Hardy are the absolute cutest and belong together!"

Nancy blushed slightly, but there was a warning tone in her voice. "Helen."

Helen waved her hand. "I know, I know, mystery first, fangirl later."

"Why don't we exhaust every one of our ideas before going to the Hardys for help?" suggested Jenny.

"So, do you have any ideas?" asked Nancy. "Now that you've heard all of the poems."

"I'm still thinking," said Jenny with a huff.

"Well, the fourth one is definitely Shakespearean, like you said," said Emily. "So, a theater, or one of his Shakespeare books?"

"Now that's an idea we can work with," said Nancy. "I was already pondering that. But I was wondering mainly about the third poem. We were able to figure out the first one thanks to Hannah, the second one is supposed to be for the combination of Josiah's safe at the bank and Mr. Archer had surmised that the fourth poem would contain the combination for the safe at Riverview Manor."

"And that's the Shakespearean one," pointed out Emily.

Nancy nodded. "Right. So, does that mean each poem has two solutions? If so, this is turning out to be longer than I had originally anticipated."

Emily let out a breath. "It's turning out longer than any of us anticipated, and a bit more complicated."

"Yeah, no kidding." Nancy drummed her fingers on the wheel as she drove. "Emily, were there any particular theaters that Josiah liked?"

Emily shrugged. "He seemed to like them all and donated to them all, I think. I know he donated to the classical radio station a lot."

Helen turned in her seat. "There's a classical radio station?"

Emily nodded. "Oh yes, Josiah was always singing its praises. They operated mostly on donations, so he donated quite a bit. They do have a few programs that sought to teach people to appreciate the classics." She laughed. "There was this one time Josiah came into Lilac Inn and turned on our radio to the classical station. They were playing the original recording of War of the Worlds. He told us that it was so well done that everyone panicked, thinking there really was an alien invasion. At least of the few people who were listening to it. I knew it wasn't real, but Josiah told me that it seemed very real to people listening to it for the first time. This was the first book ever read out loud, the first audiobook, if you will."

"Which station is it?' asked Nancy.

"89.7, WCHM, home to the classical music in River Heights and the surrounding towns."

"Helen, can you please turn the radio to that station?" said Nancy, nodding at the radio.

"Yup," said Helen as she turned on the radio and flipped through the stations before finding the station Emily was talking about.

"Nice advertisement," said Jenny, giving Emily a little nudge.

Emily grinned. "Thanks!"

"What were you hoping to hear?" asked Helen when she stopped fooling around with the radio, she had found the station.

Nancy shrugged. "Not sure, maybe not going to hear anything. Maybe this will just help us clear our minds. I did hear that infants listening to classical music are typically smarter than those that don't."

"Well, we're not infants," quipped Jenny.

Nancy laughed. "No, but listening to music, classical especially, tends to help our brains function properly. Besides, you never know if there is a clue hidden at the radio station."

"Maybe we should head over there and check it out!" blurted Helen.

"Well, not right now," said Nancy. "We're still going to the bank. Besides, I'm pretty sure that we would need to schedule our visit way in advance."

Emily nodded. "I think you do too. You just can't have people mulling about in a radio station."

Jenny chuckled. "True that." The girls became silent as Nancy pulled into the parking lot of the bank. They quickly got out and dashed into the bank. Mr. Archer was waiting for them by the front door. He smiled at them when they entered.

"So, our friendly neighborhood detectives are making some progress, huh?"

"Slowly but surely, Mr. Archer," said Nancy with a grin.

He nodded. "As to be expected. May I see the key you found?"

"Of course!" Nancy reached into her purse and pulled out the key. She handed it to Mr. Archer.

He took the key and turned it over, scrutinizing it. "It really does look like one of our keys . . ."

"And it looks like one of the keys to the employee lockers in Moonlight Gests!' blurted Emily.

Mr. Archer glanced between the girls. "That is odd. Did you check to see if this belongs to any of those lockers?"

The girls nodded. "Yes sir, we did," said Nancy. "It couldn't open up any of the lockers."

"Hmm, well, that's a bummer, because I don't think this key belongs to this bank."

"What?!" blurted the girls at once.

"But it looks so much like the keys you use for the safes!" said Jenny.

Mr. Archer nodded. "I know, and it really does. But take a closer look. See both sides?" The girls nodded. "There's no number on them. In order for this to be safe deposit key, it has to have the corresponding number of the safe."

Jenny gasped. "But, but, I was so sure . . ."

"I'm sure you were, I would be too if I saw a key that looked similar to a safe deposit box key. But, this key just isn't one of ours, honey." He kissed Jenny's forehead. "Good try, though." He handed the key back to Nancy

Helen threw up her hands. "Great, a key that doesn't have a lock!"

Nancy looked over the key. "No, it does have a lock, we just haven't found what lock it goes to." She placed it back in her purse. "Looks like we're going to have to do a little more searching to find out what this key unlocks."

Mr. Archer rubbed his chin. "Maybe try looking at Riverview Manor?"

Nancy nodded. "That will be our next place to try, once we can get the Tophams to let us in."

Mr. Archer grinned nervously. "Good luck with that."

"Thanks."

"Now, how about we open up the safe box we have the number combination for?"

"Really?" said Emily, Helen, and Jenny.

"Why?" asked Nancy.

Mr. Archer shrugged. "Why not. Maybe it could help you find out what that key unlocks."

Nancy nodded. "Good point."

"Right this way, then." The girls followed Mr. Archer to the back of the bank, where hundreds of safe deposit boxes were lined up along the three walls. One wall had safes that needed keys to open them. The other two walls were comprised mostly of number combination locks. Mr. Archer went to the farthest wall. He took out the piece of paper with the numbers and punched them into one. The box opened with a soft pop. Mr. Archer took out a container and placed it on a table in the middle of the room. He opened the container.

"What, seriously?" blurted Helen as the girls looked into the box.

Nancy reached in and pulled out a book. "'A Midsummer Night's Dream'" she read.

"Well, there's Shakespeare," muttered Jenny as Nancy flipped through the book.

"Whoa," breathed Nancy, her eyes wide. "This is a very old book. According to the inscription, this was printed in 1939!"

Mr. Archer whistled. "That's sure to bring in a pretty penny from avid collectors!"

"But something tells me Josiah didn't mean for this book to be sold," said Nancy as she continued to flip through the book.

Mr. Archer nodded. "I quite agree."

"But, now what?" asked Helen. "We're just going around in circles at this point!"

Nancy closed the book and began to think. "No, I have a hunch we're getting closer," she said slowly. She glanced at each of them in turn. "We are going to have to get back into Riverview Manor. Maybe the safe there holds the final clue that will make this all clear."

Helen huffed and crossed her arms. "You've been saying that ever since we got the first clue!"

Nancy grinned. "Well, it could be true. We just need that one clue that will really blow this whole case wide open." She paused. "We are also going to need a bit more time to think this all over." She glanced at Mr. Archer. "May we take this with us?"

He nodded. "Of course! If it's part of the treasure hunt, you're going to need it."

Nancy smiled. "Thanks." She carefully put it in her purse. "Alright girls, let's head to my house. Looks like we have a few clues we need to really look at, and we need to do it without distractions."

(Thank you so much to everyone reading this for waiting! Now that the first book in the Hardy boys series is done, I can focus more on this, and a few others I'm still writing, lol. Speaking of, there is going to be another Nancy Drew related story, one I'll be posting either tomorrow or the day after for this contest on wattpad (add this after wattpad(.com) since it won't let me do it here - (/)780174094-nancydrew-writing-contest-nancydrew Look for my name in the comments! I have the characters all ready to go, just need to figure out what mystery, lol. Once I've got that, I'll be posting it. And looking back, this chapter isn't exactly the most exciting of chapters, but the danger and excitement is coming soon, I promise you that! Along with a few surprises. XD Thanks again, and I hope you like this chapter!)


	15. Getting Some Help

Almost as soon as they got to Nancy's house than Nancy rushed up the stairs to her room and began writing down all of the poems.

"What are you doing that for?" asked Emily, sitting down to watch her write.

"I'm wondering if, by writing these down, I'll notice something," explained Nancy. Jenny, Helen, and Emily waited in silence for Nancy to finish writing. She picked up the paper and looked at it, thinking hard.

"Anything?" said Helen after a moment's silence.

Nancy sighed and shook her head. "No, nothing. Nothing new, that is. I still see that the third line of each poem refers to a time. Maybe there's another clock we have to open?"

"But what other clock?" asked Jenny. "Didn't Mr. Crowley only give out four clocks?"

"Oh! The clock at Moonlight Gests!" blurted Emily.

"But that clock was a prop," said Jenny.

"Oh, right," said Emily, crestfallen.

Nancy patted her shoulder. "Very good try though, I would have thought the same thing." Emily smiled. Nancy handed her the slip of paper. "Here, why don't you have a crack at it."

"OK!" said Emily cheerily. She took the paper and read it a few times before passing it on to Helen. Helen went over the paper several times herself before handing it on to Jenny. Meanwhile, Nancy paced the room, letting her mind wander, and pondering over everything. Four poems, four quarters, four clocks, a hole in one, minigolf, cats and dogs, math problems, and Shakespeare. Josiah Crowley was a man who had many interests. So, the first poem led them to a key hidden at Moonlight Gests. What did this key unlock? Where was that hidden? Was the answer in one of the other poems?

"I'm not getting anything," said Jenny with a sigh.

"Same," said Emily.

"I have nothing too," said Helen, though she said so a little more cheerily as she looked at Nancy with a glint in her eyes.

Nancy saw the glint, and chose to ignore it. "The next clue has got to be hidden somewhere in one of the poems. The key and the book has nothing particularly special about them that points to another clue. Well, I mean, obviously the key has to open something, we have to find it. But we have to figure out where it is hidden." She glanced determinedly at each of them. "I think we need some help, someone who hasn't been working on this as long as we have. Like Hannah, they could notice something we've overlooked."

Emily shrugged. "You're the detective, you do what you think is best."

Nancy smiled. "Thanks." She pulled out her cell phone and texted Bess and George. "I'm going to try Bess and George, see if we can't get them on the phone too. But I hope the Hardys are available."

"But why them in particular?" asked Jenny.

"Because if there's one person I know who knows almost as much about Shakespeare as Josiah did, it would be Frank Hardy."

"Ah, gotcha." Jenny nodded.

Nancy's phone dinged. She checked it. "Ah, dang it. Bess and George are busy right now." She let out a breath as she picked up the Pen Pal Phone and dialed. "Please be available!" She put the phone on speakers while it rang. It rang for a couple of minutes.

"Do they even . . ." Jenny began.

"Hello?"

Nancy blinked, she did not recognize that voice. "Um, hello? This is Nancy Drew . . ."

"Oh, hi Nancy! This is Tony Prito, one of Frank's and Joe's friends. I'll go get them. Hang on!"

Nancy let out a soft breath of relief. It was summer now, they were probably planning some shenanigans while they were waiting for their next mystery.

"Hiya Nancy!" came Joe's cheery voice on the line. "How's the mystery coming? Did you solve it?"

"We wish," said Jenny with a huff, "but it's turning out to be harder than we thought."

"Uh . . . you're not Nancy." Nancy laughed and quickly introduced everyone. By then, the boys' friends had entered the room, and the girls were introduced to Chet, Biff, and Tony. There was a chorus of "nice to meet you" on both sides of the phone.

"So," said Frank, "you've hit a snag. What do you need help with?"

"Shakespeare," said Nancy.

"Oh, you have definitely called the right detectives," said Tony with a chuckle.

Nancy laughed. "I know, but first, let me tell you what we've found so far." She quickly recapped everything that had happened since their last phone call.

There was a moment of silence before Frank blurted, "Someone was impersonating you?"

"You gave Don your phone number before you gave us it?" blurted Joe.

"How can her giving her phone number to a guy in her school be more important than someone impersonating her?" blurted Chet. "She could be in danger!"

"What do you mean she could be?" said Frank. "She is in danger. They already broke into her house, no telling what they could do next."

"All the more reason for you guys to help us solve this, right?" said Helen.

"You bet!"

"Amazing how you can get guys to just rally around you," said Jenny teasingly. "Even guys you've only just met!"

Tony laughed. "Oh, with as much as Frank and Joe talk about her, I feel like I already know her! I just don't get to come visit the Hardys all that often as I work for my dad during the summer. This is one of my off days."

"Well, good timing! I finally get to meet you! Especially after hearing so much about you as well."

Tony laughed. "Frank and Joe like bragging about their friends."

"Well, when you have the greatest friends in the world, how can you not brag about them?" said Joe.

"Aww, you guys are so sweet. Is it any wonder why you're surrounded by the greatest of friends?" said Helen.

"Have you been taking cues from Bess?"

"Joe Hardy," said Helen sternly, "just take a compliment when you hear one."

Joe snickered. "Yes ma'am."

"Can we get back to the mystery?" asked Frank. "Time is of the essence in any mystery."

"Roger that."

"So, what are the poems you found in the clocks?" asked Frank.

Nancy cleared her throat as she got the piece of paper. "Well, the first poem got us to Moonlight Gests, so ignore the golf reference. 'When four quarters become whole; And the whole is in one; Check in at twelve o'clock; Your hunt has just begun.'"

"OK, yeah, I think you've figured that one out," said Frank.

"Right, next one. 'Nine lives for every cat; And twelve for every dog; Unlock the box at six o'clock; Three is the key through the fog.'"

"Uh . . . but seven is the number usually associated with dogs," said Frank, "because of dog years."

"Right, but the numbers did open a safe at the bank, so it worked."

"But it seems like there's more . . ."

"Exactly."

"Well, I'm still thinking on that one. Next one please."

"'Three minus one is two; And two plus two is four; Ring the bell at three o'clock; You've done this all before.'"

"Math? Really?" said Joe.

"You've done this all before," muttered Frank.

"Done what before, though?" said Chet. "Check in, unlocking a box? It doesn't quite say."

"Good point," said Joe.

"And the last one?" said Frank.

Nancy chuckled. "The Shakespearean one."

"Huh?"

"Just listen . . . 'Oh good ones do not reprehend; Else five and eight a liar call; Naught but dreams at nine o'clock; So goodnight unto you all.'"

"Oh that is so Shakespeare," said Frank.

"It also sounds like something you'd hear on the radio," said Tony.

Helen yelped as she jumped up. "The radio station Emily was telling us about! We definitely have to go!"

"Glad I could be of service," said Tony with a slight chuckle.

"But the third poem is the hardest one," said Emily.

Joe scoffed. "Well of course it is, it's math, math is usually hard."

"Oh come on Joe, that was simple math," said Biff. "You know, the stuff you should have learned in kindergarten when you weren't goofing around."

"Hey, you were goofing around right there along with me."

"But that final sentence, 'you've done this all before'. I wonder what Mr. Crowley was trying to say. It doesn't seem like any line is without purpose, though, it is odd that he would mention the four quarters of the clock specifically with the word o'clock."

Nancy gasped. "The four questers of a clock! There might be a fifth clock!"

"And you have to use those four lines to unlock the clock!"

"Frank, you're a genius!"

"He knows, it's why we like to ask him for help on our homework," quipped Joe.

"Joe."

Joe laughed. "Alright, alright, I'll quit it."

"So, now comes the question of, where do we find this fifth clock? "Asked Jenny.

"That's a good question. Nance, could you reread the third poem again?"

"Sure, 'three minus one is two; And two plus two is four; Ring the bell at three o'clock; You've done this all before.'" There was a few minutes of silence before Frank let out a gasp.

"Get the book!"

Nancy lunged for it and picked it up. "I have it!"

"Try Act Three, Scene One, page two!"

Nancy quickly flipped to the page and squealed. "The word lion is underlined!"

There were whoops coming over the line. "Way to go Frank!"

"OK, now try . . ."

Nancy grinned, she knew where he was going with this and interrupted him. "I know, Act Two, Scene Two, page four!"

Frank chuckled. "You got it."

Nancy let out a whoop. "The word heart is underlined!"

"So . . . lion and heart?"

Frank gasped. "Richard the Lionhearted, King of England!"

"Great! But, we don't have anything for King Richard," said Jenny.

"What about Robin Hood?"

"Nope," chorused the girls, shaking their heads.

"Well, guess we're back to square one," said Joe.

"Well, not quite," began Nancy.

"OK, OK, OK, we're back to square ten, square fifteen to you, Nancy, since you're so smart that you've already figured out so much."

"Why thank you Joe."

'You're welcome."

"Hmm, what about stone lions?" asked Tony.

"Oh!" said Helen. "We have plenty of them around town! Mainly at a few libraries and a couple of the parks."

"Maybe you have to look for a stone lion that its most defining feature is a heart of some kind!"

"That's brilliant Tony!" said Frank.

"See why we brag about our friends?"

The girls laughed. "Certainly sounds like they've deserved it," said Jenny.

"Aw shucks, you guys," said Tony.

"Well, I think that's it," said Nancy. "We have to get to the radio station and look for a lion statue with a heart somewhere on it."

"Good luck with both of those," said Frank.

"Give us a call if you need anything else!" said Joe.

"I will! Thanks for helping out today!"

"No problem!" chorused the boys.

"Bye!" Nancy turned off the phone and went to turn on her laptop.

"What are you looking for?" asked Emily.

"The contact info for WCHM. It would be best to find out now if they schedule tours or not."

"Good point," said Jenny as Nancy found the information she was looking for. She quickly typed the number into her phone and hit dial.

"This is WCHM, home to the classical music of River Heights. Hello, my name is Mildred. How can I help you?"

"Hello Mildred, my name is Nancy Drew. Some friends and I were wondering about touring the station."

"Oh, of course! Is there a specific date and time you wanted?"

"As soon as possible, the earlier the better."

There was a slight ruffling of paper. "Ah-ha! So, the next slot I have open is for ten o'clock tomorrow."

"I'll take it," said Nancy quickly.

"Alright, and how many people are coming with you?"

"Three others."

"Alright Miss Drew, I have you scheduled for a tour tomorrow at ten o'clock."

"Perfect. Thank you so so much!"

"No problem! I'll talk to you tomorrow!"

"Sounds good. Bye!" Nancy hung up and told the girls the news.

"That's wonderful!" said Emily.

"Now all we have to do is find a lion statue with a heart on it!" said Helen.

"Yes, but first, we should head back to Lilac Inn. I promised Jane I'd help her tonight."

"How about we all help her," suggested Nancy. Helen groaned as the four walked out of Nancy's bedroom and went straight back to the car.

"Do we really have to?"

"Yes," said Nancy as she unlocked the car. "We have to make sure Emily and Jane can hold out for just a bit longer until we can find Josiah's will. Once we do and they get their money, they can hire more people to work at the Inn."

Emily nodded enthusiastically as the four got into the car. "It would be so helpful to have more people working at the Inn!"

Nancy nodded as she turned on the engine. "I bet. Just doing it that one day was enough to want to take a three week vacation." She shot a look at Helen as she backed out of the driveway. "Please try to be nice and cordial when we serve today."

Helen sighed. "Oh alright."

"Thank you." The girls talked with excitement about the latest developments in the case on the way to the Inn. Almost as soon as they got in the door than Jane was assigning them jobs. That kept them busy until it was time for bed. Nancy had suggested that she and Emily switch beds so that Nancy could see which way the ghost would take, if the ghost would even show up that night. Emily agreed, and they turned in for the night.

Nancy felt like she had only been asleep for a few minutes when she found herself waking up. She started to turn over in bed but paused. There was a soft rustling in the room. She knew she had closed the window, so what could it be? She then heard someone over by the dressed, moving a few things around. Nancy slowly peeked out from under the covers and her mouth dropped. The ghost of Rachel Caldwell was in the room! Her back was to the bed, so Nancy decided to take this chance. She slowly, silently crept out of bed and walked towards the ghost. She reached out and yanked the wig off the woman's head. The woman turned with a gasp and Nancy's mouth dropped yet again.

"Mary Mason!"

(Things are starting to heat up, but it's not quite over, not yet. Thank you so much for reading!)


	16. The Radio Clue

The two stared at each other for a moment before Mary Mason took off running. Nancy blinked before taking off after her.

"Hey! Stop! Jane! Emily! Help! Someone call the police!"

Jane came out of her room as Nancy ran past. "What in the world is going on?"

"The ghost was Mary Mason!" Nancy quickly shouted before dashing down the stairs. Nancy saw Mary shutting the front door behind her. No! She put on as much speed as she could once she left the house, Mary was not going to get away. Well, Nancy hoped she wasn't going to get away. She could clearly see Mary ahead of her, racing into the forest. She was fast, really fast. Nancy gritted her teeth, it would make sense, seeing as how Mary was able to disappear so quickly after a sighting. Did the girl run track for fun or something? And the people Nancy knew who would have been able to catch Mary weren't there! Nancy began to seeth when Mary began zigzagging her way around the trees. But then Nancy saw something in her peripheral vision. She turned her head and raised her arm right as a man reached out and grabbed her arm. She let out a shriek. "Let go of me!"

"It's no use trying to catch up to her, she's obviously really fast," he grumbled. "Best save catching her for another day."

"But . . ." Nancy looked into the forest. Mary was gone now. She yanked her arm out of the man's grip and glared at him. She imprinted the man's face in her mind. His face was narrow and long, with a hooked nose, a faint scar running down his right cheek that was just barely noticeable in the moonlight, and he had what looked like sandy blonde hair with a thin braid in the nape of his neck. She focused on his hazel eyes. "Well she's definitely gone now, thanks to you. Who are you anyway?"

"Nancy!" The two turned, Jane Emily, Helen, and Jenny were running towards them. "Are you alright?" asked Helen.

"I think so," said Nancy, returning her glare to the man. "Jane, who's this?"

"This is Buddy Holmes, I hired him to watch the Inn at night." She glanced at Buddy. "But I also hired Gil Gary. Where is he?"

At that moment, an older gentleman came towards them, panting. "I'm sorry, Miss Jane, Buddy assigned me to watch the kitchen door. I went around to the other side of the inn, but when I realized everything was happening here, I got here as fast as I could."

Nancy eyed Buddy suspiciously. "Did he now?"

Jane wrung her hands. "Oh, now what should we do. We lost our only waitress! And I can't expect you girls to keep on taking up jobs at Lilac Inn, you wouldn't be able to find Josiah's will!"

Buddy raised a hand. "May I make a suggestion? At least a temporary one."

"Of course, Mr. Holmes, I'm all ears."

"How about getting, uh, my daughter Jean to be a waitress. Sure, she's heading back to college in the fall, but she is looking for a summer job right now."

Jane grasped the man's shoulders, relief flooding her face. "Oh, you're a blessing, Buddy Holmes! Yes, please get her here as soon as possible!"

"Would tomorrow morning work?"

"Would it? It would be the best! Buddy Holmes, you truly are a lifesaver!"

Buddy gave a slight bow. "Glad to help." Nancy's eyes narrowed, was he really helping them out, or was he actually working with Mary Mason and this was just a way to get her back into the inn?

"Nancy! Are you alright?" asked Helen as she, Jenny, and Emily came rushing onto the scene.

"Well, yes, as in I'm not hurt, and no, because Mary Mason got away."

"So, it was Mary this whole time," said Jenny as she crossed her arms.

"And we didn't suspect a thing," said Nancy. "She played her part quite well." She glanced into the forest. "Really well."

Jane huffed. "Well, let's all go back into the inn. I don't think she'll come back tonight now that you almost caught her." She looked at Buddy and Gil. "But to be on the safe side, can you two takes turns watching the forest? This seems to be where she comes and goes."

Buddy nodded. "Will do, ma'am."

Jane smiled. "Thank you." She turned back to the girls. "Come one girls, there's nothing more we can do tonight. Besides, you have another clue to find tomorrow."

Nancy nodded. "That's right. Come on, let's go get some sleep." Emily, Helen, and Jenny mumbled in agreement and followed Nancy and Jane back to the inn. Nancy laid in her bed for some time, going over the recent development. She had texted her father and told him about it, telling him that she would call McGinnis in the morning and give him the report. Thinking back on the details Evelyn Walters provided, Mary Mason fit the description perfectly, well, outside of the fact that she wasn't dressed up as Nancy all the time. How did she miss this? How could she? Her eyes widened and smacked her forehead. She knew why! She had been so focused on finding the will that she hadn't even paid much attention to Jane or the Tophams! Well, the Tophams had been laying low for a while, it seemed, especially after they gave them the slip that one time at the mall. She let out a huff, maybe doing both would be hard since the treasure hunt took her away from the Inn, and she had only been to Riverview Manor once. She drummed her fingers, thinking hard. Maybe she should ask her dad and Chief McGinnis to look into them while she continued to look for Josiah's will. Heck, have them look into Mary Mason, Buddy Holmes and his daughter Jean, and Gil Gary while they were at it. Best to have all their bases covered. She got up and got out her phone again to text her father. "Please look into Mary Mason's history, as well as Jane Willoughby, Richard Topham and his daughter Isabella, Buddy Holmes and his daughter Jean, and Gil Gary. Thanks! Love you!" She hit send and proceeded to return the phone to her purse when she paused. There, laying neatly in the pocket, were Frank's and Joe's cell numbers. She pulled it out and glanced at her phone. Should she put them in now? She glanced back and forth between the numbers and the phone, indecisive. She closed her eyes, and Joe's complaint that Don got her number before them came shouting into her head. She chuckled as she opened her eyes and typed in both numbers. She returned the paper and the phone to her purse before rising from the bed and stretching. She glanced at the clock, it was almost midnight, but she was wide awake. Letting out a huff, she walked towards the window and opened the curtain just enough to peek out. She gasped as her eyes widened. Buddy Holmes was staring right back at her! He gave no sign that he was surprised that Nancy was sleeping in Emily's room, instead, the eyes that looked at her . . . were they sad? Guilty? They were definitely holding her eyes with an intense gaze, a gaze that Nancy also interpreted to mean that he knew far more than he let on. She let the curtain fall and dashed back to bed. She quickly pulled the covers over her head as chills went up and down her spine. There was something truly sinister going on under their noses, which meant Nancy had to solve this mystery, and fast.

The girls were up bright and early to help Jane with the breakfast crowd. Nancy in particular wanted to be present when Jean Holmes came in. Could the girl be trusted? Was her father in on the whole scheme and had included his daughter? When Jean did walk in, Nancy wasn't quite sure. Jean seemed very shy and a bit clumsy. She wore a pair of glasses over her darting blue-green eyes and her auburn hair was pulled back into a thick braid. But Nancy was particularly taken aback by how awkwardly Buddy acted around her, like he had no clue how to act like a father. Was this all for show? Nancy checked her phone. She hadn't heard from her father since he had texted her earlier that morning, telling her he would look into each person's history when he got to the office. Nancy glanced up, Jane was taking Buddy and Jean into her office. Since Nancy wasn't hiring jean, she couldn't be a part of the interview and had to satisfy herself by taking Jane's place at the front desk.

A few minutes later, the three came back out, and Jane began showing Jean the ropes. She was able to get in a good two hours of practice before the girls had to leave to get to the radio station.

"So Nancy, what did you think of Jean?" asked Jenny when they were finally on their way.

"Well," said Nancy slowly, "she seems fine. But . . ."

"But?" said Emily, Jenny, and Helen at the same time when Nancy didn't finish for a while.

"But, it was odd how Mr. Holmes acted around her, like he wasn't actually her father, or he hadn't seen her in ages."

"Most likely that he hasn't seen her in ages," said Helen with a shrug.

"But if they are in on the scheme with Mary?"

Helen blinked. "Oh, I hadn't thought of that." She shot a sheepish grin at Nancy. "Sorry."

Nancy shrugged. "You're fine, it was a rather busy morning."

Jenny scoffed. "No kidding. So, you're suggesting we keep an eye on all of them?"

"At this rate, we can't rule anyone out, even though I did see Mary dressed up as Rachel Caldwell, and I'm pretty sure she was my imposter as well. We don't know for sure if Mary is working by herself, or if she's working with anyone else."

Emily let out a shuddering gasp. "I-I can't believe I let myself get surrounded by such horrible people!"

"What do you mean?" blurted Helen. "The three of us aren't horrible! Least of all Nancy!"

"Are you saying you're at least slightly horrible?" quipped Jenny.

Helen narrowed her eyes. "Shut up."

Emily burst out laughing. "Oh no, not you three! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like that! It's just . . ."

"It's hard to think that some of the people you're supposed to be able to trust can't be trusted," said Nancy.

Emily nodded. "Yeah, yeah, exactly."

"Well, they must have thought you were an easy victim or something." Helen burst into a grin. "They just didn't realize that you were friends with the greatest detective in River Heights!"

Emily brightened as she glanced at Nancy. "Yes, she's gotten so far in looking for Josiah's will!"

Nancy took a hand off the wheel long enough to wave it. "I had help, remember?"

"Valuable help," said Jenny, "and knowing all the right people to help." She shot Nancy a grin in the rearview mirror. "And cute guys who think very highly of you is always a nice bonus."

Helen giggled. "Oh very!"

Nancy scoffed, though there was a slight blush in her cheeks. "Whatever, I'm just glad to have gotten as far as we have, and to have cleared up a few misunderstandings." The others agreed.

Emily's eyes widened. "Oh, oh, oh! Why didn't I think of this earlier! And I know I can trust them!"

"What are you going on about, Emily?" asked Jenny.

"Jane can hire the Turner sisters!"

Nancy gasped." Oh, Emily, that's brilliant!"

"That is a great idea!" chorused Jenny and Helen.

"Do you have the Turners' phone number though?" asked Nancy.

"Oh, um, no . . ."

"I think I still do. Wait until we get to the radio station, and then I'll get it for you. In the meantime, you can call Jane and tell her about it."

"Right!" Emily placed the call to Lilac Inn and talked to Jane about her idea. Jane wasn't sure at first, especially since the sisters needed that decision themselves. Emily said she would call them tell them the idea, and have them call Jane. She was finishing up her conversation when they pulled into the parking lot of the radio station. "Well, we just got to the radio station," Emily told Jane, "so I'll give them a call real quick and have them talk to you. OK, bye!" Emily hung up and did a little jig.

Jenny laughed. "I'll take that as a yes from Jane."

Emily grinned as nancy handed her the paper with the Turners' information. "So far so good. Now I just need to talk to the Turners."

"Well, it's time for us to be inside to get our tour," said Nancy, glancing at the clock. "We'll go in and explain that you'll be in in a minute."

Emily nodded as she began dialing the Turners' number. "Sounds good. See you in a bit!"

"OK!" Nancy led Jenny and Helen into the radio station. There was a middle-aged woman sitting at the front desk.

"Hello, can I help you?"

Nancy approached the desk. "Yes, my name is Nancy Drew, and we were scheduled for a ten o'clock tour."

"Oh yes! I remember now! I'm Mildred, nice to meet you Nancy." Mildred stood up to shake hands with the girls as introductions went around.

"Nice to meet you too," chorused the girls.

"Yes, well, you said there were four total, but I only see three."

Nancy chuckled. "Yes, there is still four. The fourth member of our party is in the car right now, making some calls. She should be here soon."

"Alright then, how about we get things started with you signing in for us?" Nancy signed them in while Mildred got them each a name tag. They chatted lightly while they waited for Emily to come in. When she finally did a couple minutes later, her eyes were shining and she was smiling broadly. Her friends grinned back, but they didn't get to talk about the Turners as Mildred announced right then that she had to get the tour underway so she could be back in time for the next tour. As such, Mildred led them on a tour of the radio station and showed them where and how the programs were made. A few people were in the studios, a couple were doing a live show while a few others were doing some pre-recording. All the while, the girls kept a sharp eye out for anything that might suggest Josiah had left a clue there, but they didn't see a thing. When they got back to the front desk, all four were looking pretty down.

"Why, what's wrong?" blurted Mildred. "Are you upset that you couldn't meet any of the DJ's?"

Nancy put up her hands. "Oh no, that isn't it!" She glanced at the girls. "See, the real reason why we came was, well, Josiah Crowley left us, actually his inheritors, a treasure hunt to find his will, and one of the clues led us here. We're sorry, the tour was fantastic!" The others echoed her enthusiasm.

Mildred gasped. "Josiah's will? Why, why didn't you say so! Now everything makes more sense, especially those prying eyes of yours." Mildred laughed. "Unfortunately, I wouldn't be the one you should ask about that. Come on, I'd better take you to Charles and James." The girls followed Mildred excitedly as she led them back to the offices. She knocked on the door. "James, Charles, may I come in?" There was a resounding yes from the two men in the room. Mildred held up her finger. "Give me one minute." She slipped into the room. The girls waited patiently, though excitedly. Maybe either James or Charles would know where the clue is! Mildred opened the door and ushered them in. Two men were sitting at the desk, looking at the girls expectantly.

"What's this I hear about you four looking for Josiah's will?" asked one man.

"Who are you anyway?" asked the other. Mildred quickly introduced them James seemed to be the more pleasant of the two, while Charles seemed slightly annoyed though it was obvious his interest was piqued.

"Ah, Emily Crandall!" said James. "Yes, Josiah mentioned you, among a few others, to be one of his inheritors." His eyes saddened. "I'm sorry about your mother."

Emily smiled sadly. "Thank you."

James glanced at Charles. "We still have it?"

Charles scoffed. "Do we still have it? Of course we do! It hasn't been moved since Josiah left it here! What, did you think his ghost was going to come and move it or something?"

Nancy bit her lip to keep from laughing. She liked this guy's sass. "So, we were right! Josiah left a clue here!"

Charles glanced at her. "Uh, duh. But first, you have to tell us the password. Or well more like password-lines."

"Oh!' Emily glanced at Nancy. "She has them on her phone."

Nancy pulled out her phone. "Yeah, give me a moment." She quickly went to the pictures of the four poems. She cleared her throat. "Oh good ones do not reprehend; Else five and eight a liar call; Naught but dreams at nine o'clock; So goodnight unto you all."

James smiled, a tear falling down his cheek. "That's it." He rose and went to a picture. He opened it, and there was a safe behind it.

"Wow, just like in the movies!" blurted Helen.

"In older movies," pointed out Jenny, "which means that not many people might look for it there. Still a stupid palce for it, though."

Charles pointed at Jenny. "I like you."

James sighed. "Alright Charles, enough." He quickly typed in the code, opened it, and pulled out an envelope. He closed up the safe and the picture before handing the envelope to Emily.

"Um, is it alright if I open this here?"

James shrugged as he walked back to his desk. "It's up to you."

Emily grinned. "Thanks." She tore open the envelope.

Helen groaned. "Not another poem!"

"Wait," said Nancy, opening it up completely, "this is on a map!"

"It's a map of Riverview Manor and the surrounding areas!" said Jenny. She pointed to a section of the map. "See, there's Ariel Park, just west of it."

"What, like Ariel from the Little Mermaid?" asked Helen. "Is it an ocean-themed park or something?" Jenny shot her a look. Nancy knit her eyebrows. Ariel, wasn't that another character in a Shakespeare play? She would have to look into that later. She folded up the map so they could read the poem.

"Congratulations on getting this far; You're one step closer to the treasure; You should now have all the tools you need to find it; And may progress at your own pleasure."

"Wait, we have everything we need to find the treasure?" said helen, rereading the poem.

"Which means there must be a fifth clock, and the key we got from Moonlit Gests should open it." Nancy glanced at each of them. "Girls, I think it's time we head back to Lilac Inn and look thoroughly at all the clues."

(Wow, we're getting closer to the end already! Squeal! Can't wait for you to read the last four chapters! I was planning on posting this today, when I thought the premier of the CW's Nancy Drew series was going to be, but apparently it's when it became available on the app, which I have. I'll be watching it after this has been posted, so you can tell me what you think of it in the reviews if you want. Still keep it spoiler-free for those who might want to watch it, but haven't yet, though I don't know if anyone who wanted to watch hasn't by now. I'll let you know what I think of it in the author's note in the next chapter. For those who didn't like the show, I guess this is your relief. For those who did, well, welcome back. XD)


	17. Helping Hands

The girls were mostly quiet on the way back to Lilac Inn, each lost in their own thoughts. So, they had all the clues now, everything they needed, as Josiah's final poem said, to find the treasure. Now they just had to put the pieces together and see how they fit, if they could even get them to fit correctly. Was it hidden in Ariel Park? But where exactly? Nancy couldn't think of any other reason for why Josiah gave them the map of Ariel Park next to his house if it wasn't important, so the only logical explanation was that the will was buried there. That made sense. But now, the question was, where exactly in Ariel Park? Maybe that was where the rest of the clues came in, to give them a hint to the exact location of the will. Nancy squeezed her eyes shut for a second. She had to wait until they got back to Lilac Inn before she could let her mind wander over the different possibilities. Right now, she had to concentrate on getting everyone to Lilac Inn safely. But her brain just wouldn't stay quiet. She was so close, she could feel it. And she had to keep a constant eye on Jane, the Tophams, and now Buddy and Jean. She bit her lip, would she be able to find the treasure and get the evidence needed to put them all behind bars if they were indeed just trying to worm Emily's inheritance out of her? A lot of that would just be suspicion and circumstantial evidence, really, not very many hard facts. The only one she might be able to put behind bars was Mary Mason since she did steal all the jewelry, provided they could catch her. And catch her they must.

When they entered Lilac Inn a little bit later, they had a surprise waiting for them.

"Nancy! Emily! Helen!"

"Why Judy, you're here!" blurted Emily as she knelt to give the tyke a hug.

"Well, you two certainly acted fast," said Nancy as she walked towards the front desk where Mary and Edna were standing surrounded by some luggage.

Mary shrugged. "It was my day off. Figured to get the moving started, at least."

"That, and it was easy since we told Judy we were coming to see you. She was really helpful!" Judy grinned at the praise. Edna glanced at Jane. "And Jane here was wonderful! She found us a room that we could use!"

Jane waved her hand. "Oh posh, it was nothing. We had an empty room, might as well put it to use, right?"

Edna grinned. "Right!"

Jane turned and took a key out of the desk. "And speaking of, here's the key to your room. Let me take you up and we can figure out where Judy's bed is going to go."

"You're bringing Judy's bed here?" blurted Helen, eyes wide.

"Yes," said Mary firmly, "that bed has been in the family for generations, we are not parting with it now."

Jenny nodded. "Fair enough."

Mary glanced at her. "Um, I don't believe we've met . . . but you look familiar." Nancy quickly introduced them.

"Oh!" blurted Edna. "Why you're Jim's little girl! Except you're not so little anymore, you're practically all grown up!"

Jenny grinned. "Basically!"

Edna hugged her. "Well, it's great to see you! But we really should try to get as much moved over here as possible."

"Would you like some help?" asked Nancy. "I have my car. It can fit quite a bit."

"Oh definitely," said Emily, shooting a knowing look at Helen.

"What? What's wrong with being prepared?"

"You just don't need to bring the kitchen sink," quipped Emily.

Helen scoffed. "Lucky for you, I didn't." The girls burst out laughing.

"Anyway," said Edna, interrupting them. "Thank you for the offer, my dear, but Jane here was just telling me you were getting closer to finding Josiah's will. Why don't you concentrate on that. We'll just bring over a few more boxes and call it a day. Maybe I can use your car tomorrow. Deal?"

Nancy smiled. "Deal."

"Oh," said Mary, holding up a finger, "and maybe your four can look after Judy while we finish up." She glanced at Judy. "That way she stays out of trouble."

Judy pouted. "But Auntie Edna said I was very good!"

Edna knelt and chuckled. "You were very good, very very good! But Auntie Mary and I need to know that you are safe while we finish up. Besides, it's why we packed your toys, you wanted to show them, remember?"

Judy smiled. "Yes!"

"But, you have to let them do some work too, work that's very important, alright?"

Judy nodded solemnly. "Yes ma'am."

Edna smiled and gave her a hug. "Good. Now, why don't you follow me and Auntie Mary to our new room so we can unpack your toys."

"OK!" She turned and waved to the girls. "See you later!"

"See you later!" the girls chorused, waving back at Judy. Jane took a bag and led the Turners up the stairs, the three women chatting.

"Alright, let's get started on reviewing all our clues," said Nancy."

"Um, I'll stay here and keep an eye on the front desk, if you don't mind," said Emily.

"No, of course not! We'll have everything out when you come up," said Nancy.

Emily smiled. "Thanks, but it could be a while if they're figuring out where Judy's bed is going to go."

Nancy nodded. "True, but everything will still be out."

Emily laughed. "Oh, alright, you're right. Besides, you might have it all figured out by the time I get upstairs."

Nancy grinned. "We'll see about that. You still have information and insight we might need."

Emilly nodded. "True. Alright, don't solve it too quickly."

Nancy laughed. "We'll try not to, but considering how the treasure hunt's been so far, I highly doubt it."

Emily laughed. "Quite true with that. And if that's the case, you three had better get started."

Jenny grinned and saluted. "Roger that."

Helen placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, yeah, sure, get behind that desk and you think you can boss us around, huh?"

Emily grinned. "Yup."

Nancy laughed. "Come on, let's get upstairs and get this ball rolling."

Helen groaned. "Fine." Nancy led them up the stairs. Judy was waiting for them in front of their door.

"Judy! What are you doing here?" Nancy asked as the tyke got up.

"Auntie Edna and Auntie Mary wanted me to wait here for you." She held up a well-loved pink bunny and a baby doll dressed in blue. "Bobby and Cindy were keeping me company."

Helen blinked as she turned to Jenny. "Bobby and Cindy?"

Nancy knelt to get eye-level with Judy. "Can Bobby and Cindy keep you company while we get some work done?"

Judy nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes! They like keeping me company!"

Nancy smiled. "Good, because we have some important work to do and can't talk to you all the time."

"Can help you with your work?"

Nancy rubbed her chin. "I don't know if you can, but I will let you know if we do need your help."

Judy beamed. "OK!" Nancy patted her head before rising. She fished in her purse for the key to their room and unlocked it. As soon as everyone was in, she closed the door behind them.

"Alright, let's get everything out and see what we can come up with," said Nancy. Judy came over to watch, but was very quiet. Nancy cut up the paper with the four poems and laid them out, then paired them with the items each poem led them to, the key, the book, the underlined words, and the map. They read the poem again before opening up the map. Nancy's finger traced Ariel Park. "It's got to be in this park," she muttered, "just where exactly? Josiah probably wouldn't have wanted us to dig up the entire park to find it."

Jenny scoffed. "I don't want to have to dig up the entire park to find it."

"Here here," said Helen.

Nancy drummed her fingers on the floor. "So, the words 'lion' and 'heart' probably refers to the hiding place . . ."

"But there aren't any stone lions in Ariel Park," said Jenny.

Helen huffed. "Well, there goes that idea. It was a good one, though."

Nancy nodded. "It was, but apparently that wasn't what Josiah was talking about."

"So, we're nowhere closer than we were before," said Jenny.

"We're a lot closer than we were before," said Nancy firmly, "we now know that the will is hidden in Ariel Park. We just have to pinpoint its exact location."

"And all we have are the words 'lion' and 'heart'," said Jenny.

"Lion and heart, lion and heart," muttered Helen. The girls looked at the map for several minutes, seemingly trying to see if something might pop out at them. Nancy's eyes would go back to the poems every now and then, but for the most part, she kept her focus on the map. The poems weren't going to give her anything new, it seemed that they gave everything that they were meant to. Nancy did wonder what the five and eight in the last poem were for. As Frank had pointed out, it seemed that Josiah liked having every line mean something. So what did the five and eight stand for, or needed to be used for?

The girls were startled by a loud knock at the door. Judy scooted closer to Helen who placed a protective arm around her while Nancy rose to open the door.

"Oh, Miss Turner! Judy's doing alright."

Edna chuckled. "I think you had better start calling us by our first names, makes things so much easier."

Nancy smiled. "Right." Judy came dashing up to Nancy and peeked around the door.

"You startled us, Auntie Edna!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

Nancy chuckled. "You're fine! We just got so lost in thought, that's all."

"Any luck?"

"Not really, we need to think more on it."

Edna nodded. "Of course. Well, I just came by to tell you we're heading back to the house to get a few more things. We figured on making one more run today. Jane found out that one of her night guards, Buddy, I think, has a truck and he and the other night guard were kind enough to help us bring over the bed and a few other things. I think they had to help the chef with a few things before they could come over."

"Oh! Are they here now?"

Edna blinked. "Um, yes, I believe so."

Nancy glanced at the clock. The lunch rush hour was upon them, meaning now was the best time to talk to Gil and Buddy without Jean or Jane hovering nearby. "I need to talk to them about something." She glanced down at Judy. "Stay here with Emily and Jenny, please."

Judy nodded. "OK."

Nancy turned to Jenny and Helen. "I'll be back soon. Keep brainstorming!"

Helen gave her a thumbs up. "You got it!"

"Oh, you'll let Nancy boss you around, but not Emily?" said Jenny.

Helen scoffed. "Nancy's the only one I'll let boss me around."

Nancy grinned as she closed the door and followed Edna down the stairs. Emily was still at the front desk, Jane having just taken a couple to a table.

"Nancy, where are you going?"

"I need to talk to Buddy and Gil without Jane hovering nearby," whispered Nancy. "I'll try to make it quick."

Emily nodded. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Nancy dashed out of the inn. Buddy Holmes and Gil Gary were talking to Mary Turner. Edna was making her way towards them. Nancy began walking towards them as well. By the time she nearly reached them, Mary and Edna were getting in their car. Buddy glanced at her like he knew she was coming to ask them questions and he was not going to like it one bit.

"What do you want?" he grumbled.

"Jane needs you to do something."

He sighed. "What now?"

"She wants you to answer my questions."

Buddy tilted his head. "Why didn't she come tell us this?"

Nancy nodded at the inn as another couple entered. "It's busy in there right now, so she couldn't leave."

Gil nodded. "OK, I'll answer your questions." Buddy glared at him, but said nothing.

"First off, what exactly happened last night?"

Gil shrugged. "Buddy and I were making our rounds for most of the night. He left me at one point to use the restroom."

Nancy glanced between them. "When was this?"

Buddy shrugged. "Around ten or so."

She looked specifically at him. "Did you see or hear anything when you left the inn?"

Buddy shook his head. "Nope."

Nancy glanced at Gil. "And where were you at this time?"

Gil glanced at Buddy and seemed to hesitate for a moment. When Buddy nodded, he spoke. "Well, I was checking out the forest by the old servants quarters." He pointed to the forest by the building he mentioned. It was almost well hidden by the foliage being it was rarely in use. "I, uh, I thought I heard a noise over there."

Nancy glanced at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, but I didn't see anyone, or anything, so I wondered if it was just my imagination. I mean, Buddy wasn't there to hear it either, so . . ."

Nancy nodded slowly. "A feasible explanation, but considering what happened last night, I think our little 'ghost' was distracting you so she could get into the house unseen. It was a perfect scenario, Buddy was inside, using the restroom, and you had your attention elsewhere."

Gil's eyes widened. "You-you mean . . . Oh miss, I'm so sorry!"

"Oh no, no, you're fine! This just means that our 'ghost' has a better view of what's going on at the inn that we do of her." She glanced between the two men. "And what happened after that?"

Buddy shrugged. "Well, when I came out of the inn, I found Gil over there by the old servants quarters. He told me what he heard and I started helping him search through the forest. But I thought it was leaving the inn wide open, so I told him to go watch the kitchen door. Then, well, you and the ghost came running out, and obviously I wasn't fast enough to catch the ghost."

Gil nodded. "And when I heard the screams, I went the long way around to make sure no one went that way." He sighed. "Obviously that was a mistake."

Nancy nodded. "Well, um, thank you, for all that information. I'd better let you go help the Turners."

Gil smiled. "Thank you, miss." He went and got into the truck. Buddy seemed to pause, like he wanted to tell Nancy something, but seemed to think better of it and turned to follow. But Nancy wasn't going to let him yet, not after seeing that look.

"Was there anything else you wanted to say, Buddy?" asked Nancy. "Like, say, about Jean?"

He turned to face her and blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Like, is she really your daughter?"

His eyes seemed to widen for a bit before narrowing. "Yes she is," he said firmly.

Nancy's eyes narrowed. "Your actions seem to say otherwise."

"Is that how you interpret them?"

"Isn't that how you would interpret them?"

"You're determined to get to the bottom of this, aren't you?"

"Yes, this is my friend they're targeting . . ."

"Who's they?"

Nancy let out a breath. "This 'ghost' obviously has help, I just don't know . . ." She gasped when Buddy grabbed her arms.

"Listen to me, you stick to finding Josiah's will, understand?"

"So you do know something!"

"I will handle the rest," he continued. "And by the grave of Catherine Grace Parker, I will see this through."

Nancy's eyes widened. "What, what did you just say?"

" You just find Josiah's will, alright? Just, just stay away from the lake!" He quickly let go of her. "Damn it, I've said too much. Just find Josiah's will!" he quickly jumped into the truck and pulled away from the driveway. Gil glanced between Buddy and Nancy as they drove pass, wondering what had been said. But Nancy could stare into space, shocked. So Buddy practically admitted that he did know what was going on! But why was she getting an inkling that he could be trusted? And how in the world did he know her mother's name?

(Oh man, so close now! *squeal!* Next three chapters are going to be intense! Well, the next two definitely are, not quite sure about the final one, but it's going to be wrapped up soon! That being said, I did watch the second episode in the CW Nancy Drew series. It's a little bit better than the first episode, there were still obvious problems with it, but we might get character growth? If so, very bad place to start. I'm sorry, but no woman is ever completely estranged from her parent, or completely without friends. She would have had at least one other friend, in which case Helen would certainly come in handy. And, to keep this spoiler free, yeah, there were a few other problems that just did not make much sense. Still wanted to bang my head on the ghost sightings, at least there was one time that actually seemed like a real haunting. But only once out of, what, three? Not that interested in actually doing a ghost are they? Japan's intelligent zombies with powers seem to have taken the world by storm, lol. Very unrealistic though. Anyway, I will proceed to watch the next episode. So far it's just been meh with some rather obvious problems, and seems like each episode is going to be a chapter, so the whole season is the mystery . . . which seems kind of long, tbh. You can have some drama in between the mystery-solving, but this? I might end up bored with it by the end of the season if the problems don't kill it first.)


	18. A Breakthrough

Nancy stood there for a few minutes that seemed to last an eternity, shocked. What in the world was going on? What was going on at the lake? What else was Buddy not telling her? Why did he know her mother's name, and why was he swearing on her grave? He was trying to tell her something, wasn't he. Just, what exactly was he trying to say? Besides staying away from the lake and let him handle it. Could she trust him to handle it? As a matter of fact, handle what? Bringing the culprits to justice? When exactly would that happen? If she told him they had stolen several pieces of her mother's jewelry, would he try to handle it sooner? There were so many questions, and not enough answers. Would she be able to figure them all out anytime soon before the culprits tried to bail, or before Buddy tried to handle them? As a matter of fact . . .

"Hey Drew!" Nancy jumped, startled out of her musings. She turned, and groaned inwardly. Deirdre began laughing. "What's the matter Nancy? Is the ghost that haunts Lilac Inn actually your mother?" Nancy blinked. What kind of insult was that? "It's been six years! Time for you to get over it!"

Nancy sighed. "Deirdre, now's not the time . . ."

"Oh wait, you wouldn't, because I have my mother and you don't!"

Nancy balled her hands into fists. She just heard her mother's name spoken to her by a complete stranger, at least, she didn't know who he was and now Deirdre was pulling her usual torment. Nancy was done with it. "Well that's because your mom doesn't do anything!" she shouted back before walking briskly past a surprised Deirdre. Sure, she was done with this, but she was still angry and she needed to cool down. She practically stormed into the inn past Jane, dashed up the stairs, grabbed her purse, and dashed back down.

"Nancy, what's wrong?" asked Emily, worry spread on her face.

"I'm fine," she mumbled. She got to her car, got in, and drove off. She had no idea where she was going to go, only that she had to get away from Lilac Inn for a bit, just a few minutes. That was all she needed, a few minutes to calm down her fiery temper, and maybe the sound of a familiar voice could help with that. She didn't seem to pay much attention to where she was going, until she found herself in the parking lot of Ariel Park. She smiled ruefully, her mind was still on the mystery, even when she was technically emotionally compromised, she still thought about the mystery. She just had a thing for puzzles, just like her mother. And, just like her mother, she had a fiery temper. Apparently Scottish tempers were hard to get rid of. Speaking of her mother, she thought Deirdre was right about one thing, it had been six years. Why hadn't she let go yet? She placed her head on the steering wheel and let out a breath before lifting it up again. She saw the sign for the park and her previous thoughts about Ariel being a character in a Shakespeare play came back. Her lips curled slightly, guess it was time to call him after all. Kill two birds with one stone, right? She winced, though, as she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. She liked Frank, she liked him a lot, but she felt like she was using him as a crutch to cope. She bit her lip as she pushed the dial button, maybe going out with Don a few times might not be such a bad idea, if just to give Frank a break. But right at this very moment, she needed to hear Frank's voice.

"Um, hello? Who is this?"

"Frank? Hi, it's Nancy."

"Nancy! Hi! Wow, you're, you're calling my cell! This is, this is . .. wow!"

Nancy chuckled. "Don't freak out on me, Hardy."

"What? Didn't Joe tell you? I don't freak out, I geek out!"

Nancy burst out laughing at that, the tears flowing freely now. "Thanks, I needed that."

"Oh, Deirdre again?"

Nancy nodded and sniffled as she wiped her eyes. "Yeah, except this time, I told her that the reason why she still has her mother was because her mother doesn't do anything."

Frank snorted. "Ooh, ouch. That was long overdue."

Nancy chuckled. "You think?"

Frank laughed. "The Scottish sass is strong today, I see. Finally got tired of Deirdre's taunts?"

Nancy let out a breath. "Well, that . . . that wasn't the only reason." She told him about her interrogation of Buddy Holmes and what he told her.

"He said what?" blurted Frank. "How in the world does he know your mom's name? Specifically her other name?"

"That's the thing, I don't know. He even knew her middle name, and there's only a few people who know that!"

"And there was no way they could find that out anywhere?"

Nancy nodded. "Positive, Mom and Dad always made sure that Catherine Keen Drew was the name used on every document, and that's the name on the, um, gravestone too."

"Hmm, could he be a fellow spy or something?"

Nancy huffed. "There's no way any of them would have known Mom's middle name, much less used it."

"You have a point there, but you never know. We don't know spy protocols."

Nancy sighed. "True that." She let out an exasperated huff.

"Hey, maybe your best bet would be finding out what's going on at the lake," said Frank. "Then you might find out exactly what's going on. Just be sure not to go alone. Who knows what those crooks could do to you."

Nancy nodded. "Got it!"

"Great . . . now was there another reason why you needed my assistance?"

Nancy glanced at the park sign. "Yes, there was one other thing. Was there a character named Ariel in any of Shakespeare novels?"

"Yeah, there was a sprite named Ariel in The Tempest. Why do you ask?"

"Because the park that's right next to Josiah's house is named Ariel Park, and we found a map to it."

"Oh, oh wow . . ."

"What?"

"Ariel means Lion of God."

Nancy's mouth dropped. "Say, say what?"

"Yeah! Ariel means Lion of God! Maybe Josiah meant the will is . . ."

"In the heart of the park!" Nancy blurted, glancing at the park in excitement. "Oh Frank, thank you so much for that information! Though, I have to wonder, how did you know that Ariel meant Lion of God?"

Frank chuckled nervously. "Well, when you have a male sprite and a female mermaid sharing the name, kinda made me curious to what it meant."

Nancy scoffed. "Really?"

"Hey, it's a pretty unique name! Practically those two are the most famous with that name, so, you know, I got curious and, well, looked it up. So what?"

"It's just not everyday Frank Hardy has exactly the information I need."

Frank chuckled. "Yeah, there is that." Something that sounded like a horn echoed on Frank line. Nancy's heart beat wildly, she had heard that particular horn sound somewhere, but it still worried her.

"Frank, what was that?"

"Oh, it's the train. Joe, Chet and I are at the train station. Dad had to come in on one due to his current case. And then he's going to head back out again, with Mom in tow."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, they have to pretend they're on their honeymoon or something for this to work out, though they just might turn it into their second honeymoon. It'll be all paid for, that's for sure."

Nancy chuckled. "Well, I'd better let you go meet your dad then."

"Yeah, thanks. Glad I could help, but I think you've got this now."

"Oh definitely, with your help. Thanks again."

"Glad to have been of service. Oh man, I definitely need to go."

"What's up?"

"Joe's waving at me, either Dad missed his train or there's something else . . . and now he got sidetracked by a pretty girl. Ugh, Joseph Fenton Hardy, what are we going to do with you? And you're going out with Iola!" There was a slight pause as Nancy's mouth dropped open. "Oh, sorry Nance."

"You know Joe's middle name," she whispered.

"Uh, well, yeah, with as often as our parents and Aunt Trudy use them whenever we get into trouble, kind of hard not to."

You know each other's middle names!"

"Uh, yeah, I just said that. Are you alright?"

"Oh how could I be so stupid!"

"Nance?"

"And Jane was . . ." Nancy's eyes widened. If Jane was in fact a part of this, she might have just made things even worse for Buddy. "Oh no, Frank I have to go."

"What's going on?"

"Buddy is undercover and I might have just blown his cover. Oh, me and my stupid . . ."

"Nancy, listen, if he blew his cover to protect you . . ."

"I won't be able to live with myself! I have to get to the lake!"

"If you absolutely have to, please have back-up. I don't care if it's Don, Richie, Emily, Helen, or all of them, just have backup, please."

"I will call them, I just have to call my Dad first and Chief McGinnis."

"Alright, I'll let you go. Please be careful."

"I will. Good luck to your parents on their honeymoon case."

"Thanks. Uh, bye."

"Bye." As soon as Nancy ended the call, she turned to dialing her father's number as she started up the car. "Come on Dad, please answer." But it went straight to voicemail. "Ugh! Dad, if you get this before Mrs. Farnham talks to you, please get out to Angus Lake near Lilac Inn. Buddy Holmes is undercover and I've put him in danger. I'm calling Chief McGinnis as soon as I finish talking to Mrs. Farnham. Love you, bye." She quickly hung up and began dialing her father's office. After a few minutes it went straight to the answering machine. "What?" She glanced at the clock in her car, it was nearing two o'clock, there was no way Mrs. Farnham was on her lunch. Did her father send her home early? "Dad, if you get this, please check your cell phone or at least call me back. This is urgent!" She hung up and quickly tried calling Richie Farnham. She was getting closer to Lilac Inn now.

"Hello?"

"Oh thank goodness, Richie!"

"Nance, what's wrong?"

"Is your mom at home?"

"You tried calling your dad's office, huh?"

"I tried his cell phone too. I need to get a hold of him. Can you run by his office?"

"Does this have to do with your mystery?" asked Richie. Nancy could hear him moving around, apparently hurrying to get ready to go.

"Oh big time. I left a message on my Dad's cell explaining it. Well, at least the major parts of it."

"Yeah, it's Nancy."

"Huh?"

"Oh, sorry, the guys are here. Don's asking if there's anything else you need."

Nancy squeezed her eyes tight for a second. She could do this. "Yes, I need you all to meet me at Angus Lake near Lilac Inn. If I'm not there, well, I've most likely been kidnapped and the crooks are trying to get away."

"Say what?"

"Listen, I'll have Emily, Helen, and Jenny with me. You guys just get there as fast as possible. We'll try to stay hidden as long as needed."

"ALright, but you be careful now, you hear?"

Nancy smiled. "I hear you. I'll talk to you later, I need to call Chief McGinnis."

"Right, see you soon." As soon as they hung up, Nancy called the police station.

"Lieutenant Brice speaking, how can I help you?"

"Lieutenant, I need to talk to Chief McGinnis right away. This is nancy Drew."

"Well hello Miss Drew. I'll get the Chief for you right away."

"Thank you." Nancy, who was almost at the Inn now, was watching it closely. She gasped when she saw first Jean and then Jane exit the inn by the kitchen door and make their way towards the surrounding woods. Nancy slowed down so as not to draw their attention to her.

"Hi Nancy, what's up?"

"Chief, I'm getting close to Lilac Inn, and I just saw Jane Willoughby and Jean Holmes exit the inn and go into the woods. I think they're going to the lake."

"Um, OK."

"I spoke to Buddy Holmes earlier. He told me not to go to the lake and then said that he had said too much."

"Holy . . . if you're going to follow them, stay at a safe distance and keep an eye on your surroundings. Be sure to have back-up. We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thanks Chief," was she got to say before the Chief hung up. She was almost in the parking lot now as she quickly dialed Helen's number.

"Nancy! Where are you? Are you alright? I've been trying to call you, but your phone was busy!"

"Helen, I just saw Jane and Jean exit the inn and go into the woods. I need the three of you out here now."

"But Judy!"

"Then two of you! Just get out here!" Nancy hung up. If they weren't outside in three minutes she would have to follow Jean and Jane alone. There wasn't much time left. She saw the truck when she pulled in and Gil waved to her as he brought in one of the boxes from the back of the truck. Nancy gave him a quick smile and a quick wave. So he at least wasn't in on it. Was it just Jean, Jane, and Mary with Buddy undercover, or were there more? If so, how many more? Helen and Jenny came rushing out of the inn.

"Nancy!" Helen wrapped Nancy in a bear hug.

"What in the world is going on?" asked Jenny.

"Follow me, we don't have much time. I can explain on the way. Just, be as quiet as you can be." The two girls nodded and followed her into the woods. Talking and walking quickly, Nancy explained everything that had happened since she left them.

"Wait, couldn't he have seen her grave, or something?" asked Jenny after Nancy finished Buddy's story.

"No, because the name on her grave is Catherine Keen Drew. Mom only used Grandma Penny's maiden name when she was on a mission. It was easier and safer that way."

"Then, how would he know it?"

"I have a hunch as to how, but I fear I've already put his mission in enough jeopardy as it is."

Helen gasped. "Oh, oh! I do hope nothing has happened to him!"

"Well, I don't think Jane heard much of what Buddy told me, much less what it actually meant." Nancy pursed her lips. "I do hope nothing has happened, but we're going to have to come up with a diversion of some kind to stall them until the police get here."

"For how long?" asked Helen.

"Well, getting from the station to Lilac Inn will take about twenty minutes, so . . ."

"About a half hour," whispered Helen with a soft sigh.

"That might be a problem," muttered Jenny.

"Why?"

Jenny pointed. "Look." There, docked on the bank of the lake, was a boat that was large enough to be a house. It even had part of a house on the deck. The lake in question wasn't exactly a lake, it was still part of the Angus River, just the largest part, so large the locals called it a lake, and it stuck. The girls immediately ducked behind some bushes. They peeked over the foliage before ducking back down. Nancy took a quick survey of their surroundings before looking back at the boat.

"Do you think they saw us?" asked Helen.

"If there's anyone even there. I didn't see anyone. Did you?"

Helen and Jenny answered in the negative. "Then where are they if they're not here?" asked Helen.

"You sure Jane and Jean even came this way?" asked Jenny.

"This is the way to the lake," said Nancy. "Buddy said to stay away, so here is where I figured the criminal activity would be taking place." Nancy peeked over the foliage again. "I'm going to take a closer look."

"What?"

"Sh!' said Jenny and Nancy at the same time.

"I'm just going to see if anyone is there. I'll come right back if I see they're in there and we'll come up with a plan to stall them. But if there's no one in there, I'll wave you over and we'll take a quick look around to see if this is even their hide-out," explained Nancy.

Helen huffed. "Fine, be quick and be careful."

"I will." Nancy tiptoed towards the river boat, keeping as low as she could to prevent detection. She was able to climb on board silently and tiptoed up to the little house. The door was slightly ajar and she peeked in. Her mouth dropped. Not only was Jane and Jean in the house, but so was Isabella Topham! Not only that but Jean's hair was coming off! It was nothing more than a wig! Nancy began to back away, but a strong pair of hands pushed her into the room. The three women stood up and sneered at her.

Jean, or whatever her real name was, bent down and smiled cruelly at Nancy. "Well well, it's about time. We've been expecting you, Nancy Drew."

(AAAHHH! Two chapters left! And that means I can only review two more Nancy Drew episodes after this one. But, let me tell you, this week's episode was so much better than the last two. They got me to like Nick and the murder victim. I don't care about Dead Lucy's mystery, all the ghost stuff seem pointless right now, I want to know who killed Tiffany Hudson. They had a treasure hunt for this episode and it really seemed like Nancy Drew . . . besides the ghost stuff, obviously. Speaking of the ghost stuff, the ghost stuff actually seemed more ghostly in this episode, but it also seemed to distract from the rest of the episode. And since the last episode was about George, this episode was more about Nick, the next one should be Bess, especially based on the cliffhanger at the end. So, yeah, this series is actually starting to be better. Let's hope they can keep it up for the rest of the season and not let it collapse like they did with Riverdale/Archie. Only time will tell. ;) See you next week!)


	19. A Boat Ride

Nancy noticed that it had been Richard Topham who had pushed her in, right as he dashed out of the door. The three women quickly helped Nancy up and tied her to a chair.

"Take off Buddy!" he shouted. Nancy's spirits began to sink a little, they were moving! This was not working. Hopefully Helen and Jenny could get help.

"Why were you waiting for me?" Nancy asked.

Jean leaned in. "Because you either know where the real will is by now, or you're real close to finding it. Can't have you finding the real will before we clear out Josiah's money with a fake one, now, can we?"

Nancy's eyes widened. They had forged a will! "But the bank won't let you take out all of the money!"

"It's our money," said Gwen with a sneer, "we can do whatever we want with it."

"Why, why you monsters!"

Jane crossed her arms. "Oh honey, we're not the monsters."

"What? You're stealing money from people who need it!"

"Who said we didn't?" asked Jean cooly.

Nancy turned blazing eyes on her. "I think you need more than money."

Jean burst out laughing. "Will you listen to her, Mother? Little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes thinks morality is more important than money!"

Nancy's eyes widened as she had gone on a different train of thought. "Wait, your mother?"

"Oh that's right, where are my manners?" said Jean sarcastically. "Allow me to introduce ourselves. Nancy, meet my mother Marion, my sister Gwen, I'm Gayle, and the role of Richard Topham was expertly played by my father, Gary. We're the Moreau family." The three women gave her exaggerated bows.

Nancy blinked, the names sound familiar, but where had she heard them from?

"Isabella", or Gwen, groaned. "Of course you wouldn't know."

"Well, she might not quite know your names, but she might know me by my maiden name, Marion Aborns."

"It also doesn't help that we're still in costume, idiot," said Gayle. "Of course she wouldn't recognise us."

But Nancy's mouth had dropped at the name of Marion Aborns as the visage of Jane Willoughby gave way to the face of a rather well-known actress who had disappeared some years ago. "You're Marion Aborn?"

Marion glanced at her daughters with a grin. "Told you." Gayle and Gwen rolled their eyes.

"But, but, who's Gary Moreau?"

"My stylist, so of course you wouldn't know him. And Gayle here has gotten a few roles in some big movies. Hurry it up and take your make-up off, Gayle, she'll recognize you for sure."

"A whole family of celebrity crooks," said Nancy. "Why am I not surprised?" She gasped when Gayle took off all her make-up. "I do recognize you! Why you were sent to prison for fraud! Among other horrible things." She gritted her teeth.

"Aw, are those things too horrible for Miss Goody-Two-Shoes to talk about?" teased Gayle.

Nancy growled. "You really are a monster! I'm surprised they even let you out of jail!"

"Money does talk big time, even with prison guards," said Marion with a smirk.

"Yeah, can you believe there are people who try to curb the corruptness in Hollywood? There's so much of it that there's no way it can all be stopped." Gayle smiled cruelly. "Even by someone like your prestigious father."

Nancy scowled. "So now what? How exactly were you expecting Mr. Archer to believe your claims?"

Gayle laughed. "Watch." She quickly reapplied some make-up and put on a wig. She turned to Nancy after giving it a nice floof. Nancy's heart sunk. "See, I go in as you and they won't suspect a thing, especially since I, or you, should I say, will be going in with the Tophams. Those last two times were just tests, and I simply took advantage of them, naturally. Of course you were in the company of several witnesses at the time, but that was part of the plan. See, now that they know that you can't be in two places at once, if you're just in one place and nowhere else, it must be the real Nancy Drew they're talking to. Brilliant, isn't it?"

Nancy's eyes widened. It was a pretty good plan. There was just one problem. Hopefully Jenny would call her father and stop the transaction. If only she could get to her phone! "You are smart, but why use that intelligence for evil?"

"Because evil is so much more fun!' said Gwen, throwing a few scarves in the air.

"Gwen, stop throwing things around!" Gayle berated her. Gwen stopped, but she was still smiling widely. Nancy pondered if she could get Gwen on her side, but that smile suggested she was sticking with her family. And the admiration she had in her eyes for her mother and her sister meant Nancy would have needed more time to convince her to do the right thing, and that was something she did not have. Not only that, but Nancy would have to talk to her alone, and she didn't think she was going to get that chance. It seemed Buddy was her only ally at this moment. Speaking of, where was he? WHy hadn't he made a move?

"Besides," said Jane, or Marion, breaking into Nancy's thoughts, "we did have to find a fast way to get back to the way we were living before." She gave her a little pout. "Being poor isn't fun."

"Glad you noticed," mumbled Nancy. "And here you are, stealing from the poor to give to yourselves."

Gwen giggled. "Kind of like Robin Hood!"

"Actually, Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor," Nancy stated. She glared at them. "Meaning he would be stealing from you to give back to those who need it."

Gwen scoffed. "No wonder Deirdre doesn't like you. You're no fun!"

"No, she just doesn't like me because I'm smarter than she is," quipped Nancy with a deadpan face. The three glanced at her in shock before Marion and Gayle burst out laughing. Gwen didn't seem to get it.

"No argument there," said Gayle.

A knock came at the door and Gary Moreau, alias Richard Topham, stuck his head in. "We're almost there. Best get in position."

"Coming Daddy!' said Gwen as she dashed towards the door. The two went up on deck.

Gayle went to the mirror and touched up her make-up. She turned to Nancy with a sneer. "See you soon." Nancy didn't get a chance to talk back as Marion was gagging her. In a couple of minutes, she was all alone in the room. She tried to twist, she tried to squirm, but they tied the knots rather well. And she wasn't anywhere near a piece of glass or something sharp. Her thoughts turned to Buddy. Where was he? What was his plan? Couldn't he at least come in and give her some idea of what he had in mind? Put her mind at ease? But no one came into the room until the three returned, grinning from ear to ear with wicked triumph. Gayle opened the door, and Nancy saw Gary and Gwen heading to another part of the boat.

"We did it, Mommy!" Nancy heard Gwen say before Gayle closed the door. The next moment, they were moving again. Gayle took off the gag.

"Now what's going to happen?"

Gayle shrugged. "We'll leave you on the other side of the shore, somewhere down river, and we'll make a clean getaway." She grinned and sat down. "Simple as that."

Nancy's eyes narrowed. "You're perfectly alright with me chasing you down?"

"Oh, that'll be part of the fun." Gayle leaned forward. "Of course, we'll have new identities by then, so you'll have to find us first."

Nancy growled. "Of course." A shout startled the two. They glanced at the door while shouting went on for a couple more minutes. Then the door opened and Buddy quickly entered.

"The police are outside with her family and friends," he said sullenly.

Gayle stood up, eyes wide. "What?"

He nodded at Nancy. "Apparently a couple of her friends saw your dad push her in and notified the police."

Gayle turned her fury on Nancy. "Why you . . .!"

Buddy laid his hand on her shoulder. "Your mom was hoping you could aleve their fears."

Gayle blinked and glanced at herself in the mirror. She completely calmed down and fluffed up the wig agani. "Oh, that's right! Thanks for reminder Buddy."

"Help!" Nancy shouted at the top of her lungs. Gayle clamped her hand over her mouth.

She growled as she glanced at Buddy. "I guess you'll have to stay here and keep her quiet."

"I guess I shall. You'd best get going before they come in."

Gayle quickly removed her hand from Nancy's mouth. "Right." She quickly left the room.

Buddy glanced at Nancy and crossed his arms. "And I thought I told you to stay away from the lake."

Nancy scoffed. "And if you know me, I'm just like Mom."

He sighed. "Touche. Come on, this is our chance to end this once and for all." Nancy nodded as he untied her wrists.

"Think they'll fall for Gayle's disguise?" Nancy asked worriedly as she rubbed her wrists.

"Oh, if your friends know you well enough, they'll see right through it. I know your dad has those special questions."

Nancy smiled. "That was smart of Mom to have us memorize those."

"While considering her line of work and mine, it made sense." He stood up. "Well, what do you say? Help the FBI take down a rather nasty family of criminals?"

Nancy grinned. "Are you kidding?"

Buddy snorted. "Yup, just like your mom. Come on, stay right behind me. We may get the element of surprise." Nancy nodded and stepped behind Buddy on the way to the door. He opened it and Nancy heard Carson's voice.

"Ah, there you are, Mr. Holmes, I was beginning to worry about you."

McGinnis scoffed. "So was I. Though I was more wondering if you were trying to hide something."

Gayle broke out into a cheery laugh, trying to mimic Nancy's laugh. Nancy smirked, she was failing horribly. If Helen didn't know before, she definitely knew now that she wasn't the real Nancy. "Oh come on, Chief! Don't be such a worry wart. The Tophams told me this is Buddy's boat . . ."

"Exactly, we should find out if they're dealing with a criminal," said McGinnis firmly.

"But Chief!"

"Did you check into his background?"

"W-well, no . . ." began Gary.

"Then I suggest we search the boat."

"Oh but . . ."

"No need Chief, I'm bringing the evidence out to you."

"Evidence? What evidence?" asked Marion, her voice starting to get shrill.

"Evidence against you four. But first, my star witness." Buddy stepped aside and Nancy stepped out onto the deck.

"Nancy!" cried out Helen. Carson smiled with relief. Don and the fellows glanced between Nancy and the disguised Gayle in surprise.

"Wh-what's going on?"

"I'm sure Mr. Drew can give you the full story better than I could," said Buddy, "but long story short, ladies and gentlemen, may I present the Moreau family?" He walked quickly towards Gayle and yanked the wig off. He then turned and yanked Marion's wig off. "The most famous of which are Marion Aborn Moreau and Gayle Moreau. Apparently the other two members of the family got in on it too."

"What, but . . . I am Richard Topham!" blurted Gary.

"No you are not." Carson grinned from ear to ear as he stepped aside and a man around his age stepped onto the deck. "I am Richard Topham." He growled at the Moreaus. "And I can't believe you were going to take my uncle's money from my family and his other inheritors." Two girls around Nancy's age stepped forward and crossed their arms. Nancy let out a mix of a gasp and a squeal while the Moreaus' mouths dropped. There were two daughters, and they were of mixed race!

Gary pointed at them. "Who are they? I only have one daughter!"

"If you painstakingly went through the house to change every photo of my family to include you and your daughter, you would know these are my daughters Ida and Isabel." Gary opened his mouth but nothing but a squeak came out. Richard crossed his arms and glanced around at the crowd. "What I can't understand is how anyone could fall for this? Especially those who knew my uncle well."

Mary Turner came forward and cleared her throat. "I think I know." Shen odded at Gary. "We never really talked to them when Josiah was around, and he cooked up some story about why Josiah called him by a different name." She glanced down. "The signs were clearly there, but, we obviously weren't looking. So we fell for it, hook, line, and sinker."

"But why would you believe him over me? I was here when Uncle Josiah was dying!" blurted Gary. Nancy rolled her eyes. He was still going to fight this? He clearly lost already.

"I was in Chicago with my wife's family. She . . . passed away not too long ago, alright? I had decided that it was best that my daughters spend at least one year with their mother's side while we grieved before coming to stay with Uncle Josiah." His eyes narrowed. "Speaking of, Uncle Josiah was supposed to have lived for another year at least. Chief, I'm thinking these crooks poisoned him."

"I wouldn't put it past them," said McGinnis as he crossed his arms and eyed them.

"B-but!"

"I think I've heard enough," said McGinnis. "Lieutenant! Arrest these four and lock them up." He turned to Buddy. "Unless you want me to hand them over to you right now, Dennis."

"Dennis!?" blurted the Moreaus.

Buddy laughed as he took off his wig and his own makeup to reveal a mop of red hair, a freckled face, and blue eyes that were similar to Nancy. "That's right. FBI agent Dennis Parker." He turned to Nancy and bowed. "At your service."

Nancy laughed. "Oh Uncle Dennis!" She hugged him.

"Uncle Dennis!" came the resounding surprised chorus. Richie and Helen let out whoops, they did know who Dennis was.

Carson burst out laughing. "Buddy Holmes, an ingenious alias for Fenton Hardy's little buddy."

Dennis grinned broadly. "I knew you'd catch that." He turned to McGinnis. "Why don't you keep them overnight, Chief? I want to take a little time off to spend with my family."

McGinnis nodded and grinned. "Fair enough. Come on guys, let's go."

"Oh, wait!" Nancy rushed towards Gayle. "Where's my jewelry, and where's Emily's?"

"You're so smart, why don't you figure it out?" sneered Gayle before she was led away.

Nancy placed her hands on her hips. "Very well, I shall." She turned to her uncle. "Do you have any clues?"

Dennis pointed to the room. "Gayle took them to her vanity and they've never left that room."

"Then they're still there." She turned to the others. "Would you like to help me look?" Everyone answered in the positive and the group filed in. While they searched for the jewelry, the whole story came out. Helen and Jenny did see Nancy get shoved by Gary Moreau into the room and the boat taking off before they could get to it. They immediately called Don, Richie, and the police. Don and Richie had found Carson in his office at that point, he was talking with the Tophams whom he had picked up from the airport. They were able to fill them in on everything that had happened. Carson revealed that he had also found the real Jane Willoughby and she was on her way. She had been in France, finishing up her Master's in Fashion Design and had not heard of Gloria's passing. The Moreaus apparently got a hold of the letter notifying her of Gloria's wishes and hatched the rest of their plot. But by the time everything had been cleared up, the jewelry had not been found.

"Where in the world is it?" blurted Helen with frustration. "And we have to hurry back to help Emily with the dinner crowd! It would have been so nice to at least given her that!"

Mary Turner nodded. "That it would. Listen, Edna is there already. I'll head over now to help out. You can stay here and finish looking." She quickly left.

Helen sighed. "But that doesn't get us any closer to finding it."

Nancy sat in the chair facing the vanity, thinking hard. Where would Gayle hide them? This vanity clearly didn't have any secret compartments, so where else would Gayle hide them? Her eyes wandered over the mess on the tabletop. Where could several pieces of jewelry be hidden? Her eyes fell upon the makeup kit. Now that she was taking a closer look at it, she noticed there was something off about it. She snatched it up and began looking over it. She found a flower that stuck out a little more than the others. She pushed on it, and a hidden drawer popped out. Everyone was crowded around her now and could see the contents, especially as Nancy pulled them out one by one.

Helen let out a squeal. "You found them, Nancy! I do believe you found them all!"

(One last chapter! Woohoo! And now for my weekly review of the CW's Nancy Drew. Last week's episode has been the best so far. Nothing but ghosts this week, and rather ridiculous occurrences at that. Sure, Nancy learns a little bit more about Dead Lucy and we do learn more about Bess, but, this feels like its starting to drag. This just seemed nothing more than a filler episode with some information thrown in for good measure. And again, the weekly scare. I think I can see where the pieces are supposed to line up concerning both Dead Lucy and Tiffany, but I still need more info on Lucy in order to care about her. Give me some backstory! A flashback episode will be fine, but this episode I think was pushing it. So, so far, they've technically only had one superb episode. We'll have to see how next week's episode turns out. And for next week's chapter, I have a couple of announcements to make. Happy reading, and happy Halloween!)


	20. Heart of the Lion

Everyone rushed back to Lilac Inn with the great news. Emily and Nancy found that all of the jewelry that had been stolen was there. Mr. Archer came by, relieved to find everything and everyone alright. He suspected that it had been the fake Nancy with a fake will and as such, told them that it was only a couple hundred thousand dollars that Josiah left behind when in fact he left more than a million. Everyone laughed and congratulated him on his quick thinking. He left to return the money and Emily's jewelry to the bank before he and Jenny would return home. But before he left, he accepted an invitation to Riverview Manor that Saturday where Nancy would reveal the will.

"Why can't you tell us where it is now?" blurted Helen as Nancy, Carson, and Dennis were making their way to the door.

Nancy merely brought her finger to her lips as her eyes sparkled. "I want to keep it a secret. Don't worry, I'll reveal everything at the party on Saturday."

Helen crossed her arms. "Alright, you better."

Nancy laughed. "Don't worry, I will. I have to, we're going to dig up the will together."

Helen grinned. "Fair enough. You go enjoy the evening with your uncle."

"I plan on it. See you Saturday!"

"See you!" Helen gave her a quick hug. Nancy rushed out of Lilac Inn to catch up with her father and uncle, even though she was taking her own car back home. She bounced as she got in her car and let out a squeal. This was almost over! Chief McGinnis had the criminals locked up in jail, her father found the real Topham family and Jane Willoughby, and she knew the proximate area where the will was hidden, or buried. She chuckled as she pulled out of the parking lot. Who knew that Josiah Crowley wanted his inheritors to go on a real treasure hunt? She pondered it on the drive home. Maybe it was because he wanted them to become as close to each other as he had felt with each of them? This whole thing seemed to do it just fine, at least, that's what Nancy hoped. Maybe she could know for sure at the party. She knew the Archers and the Tophams would get along rather well. She certainly wanted to get to know the real Isabel and her twin Ida. They seemed like they would be great friends. Heck, Nancy bet that the twins and Emily would be great friends. All that was left was making sure the Turners got along with everyone, but seeing as they were already getting along quite well with Emily, she figured everything would be fine. She pulled into the driveway of her house and turned off the car. She looked at the house and thought of the people inside, her father, Hannah, and her uncle, all safe and sound. She pulled the keys out of the ignition and sat back with a sigh. If her uncle hadn't been the one on the job, would she have seen him again anytime soon? Heck, would they have even caught the Moreaus? Though, it stood to reason that her uncle would have been assigned to the case, he was the best when it comes to disguises. But now that it was over, he would be whisked away again, and Nancy never knew when they would get to see him again. A loud ding startled her out of her thoughts. She quickly fished her phone out of her purse and saw that she had three messages. The most recent one was from her uncle, asking her how long she was going to be. The other two were from Frank and Joe. She clicked on Frank's text. He was merely saying hi and told her that if Joe ever got on her nerves to let him know. She clicked on Joe's text, and laughed. "It's about time!" he had sent, followed by "we had better team up and solve a mystery soon!" Nancy nodded as she wiped a tear from her eye. Yes, they needed to team up and solve a mystery soon. She texted them quick replies before putting her phone back in her purse and getting out of the car.

"There you are!" said Dennis as he rose from the sofa to greet her when she walked in. "I could feel my white hairs growing in!"

Nancy laughed as she gave him a hug. "Uncle Dennis, I don't think you could ever get white hairs! Grandpa Hal and Grandma Penny look great for their age!"

Dennis laughed. "That they do, but they still have white hair."

Nancy snickered. "No argument there."

"Nancy!" Hannah rushed into the room and pulled Nancy into a tight hug. "Oh, thank God you're safe!"

Carson walked into the room with a tray of cookies and tea. "Goodness Hannah, she just got out of a tight situation. No need to squeeze her to death!" He grinned and ducked as Hannah's hand went sailing over his head.

"And there's definitely no need for you to make light of the situation, mister! This is your daughter we're talking about!"

Carson placed the tray on the coffee table and turned to Hannah with a mischievous grin. "Exactly." Dennis clamped a hand over his mouth, even though his body shook with laughter.

Hannah scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Go figure. Help yourselves, I'm going to finish on dinner." She threw her hands in the air. "The sooner I get out of here, the longer I can keep my sanity." Nancy and the two men laughed heartily before helping themselves to the treats.

"So Uncle Dennis," said Nancy as she sat down on the sofa, "how were you able to get in with the Moreaus?"

Dennis sat next to her with a sigh and a slight chuckle. "A lot of hard work, patience, and nearly breaking a few rules too. I have been trying to gain some of their trust through different disguises over the past couple of months. Most of those disguises obviously didn't work. But the boat really sold them, I think." He chuckled. "They needed a base of operations and a mode of transportation from Riverview Manor to Lilac Inn, and a mode that could go fairly fast was preferable. Well I had, I made sure I had what they wanted. They still didn't trust me, and they had good reason not to, so I ended up having to stay with the boat." He winked. Nancy chuckled. "So when Marion asked me to be a night watchman, I was surprised. She told me that this was a chance to prove myself to them. All I had to do was give Gil something to do, make sure the door was unlocked, and to make sure the coast was clear so Gayle could get in and out quickly." He paused for a moment and scratched his chin. "Marion also told me to be on the lookout for some girl with black curls. Said she scared the heck out of Gayle one night while she was dressed up as you." Nancy and Carson glanced at each other and snorted. Dennis glanced between them before glancing at Nancy in surprise. "Wait, was that you?"

Nancy nodded. "Yes!"

Dennis roared with laughter and nearly fell off the couch. "That was you! Oh man, I wish I had been a fly on the wall to see that! Right Carson?"

Carson laughed. "Right!"

Dennis laughed some more. "What a hoot! I'm going to have to tell them that! My niece put on a dark wig and terrified the girl dressed up as her! Wow, now that's a first!"

"I wish I could be a fly on the wall when you tell them!" said Nancy between laughs.

"I might be able to arrange that," said her uncle with a twinkle in his eyes. The three burst into fresh bouts of laughter until Hannah interrupted to tell them that dinner was served. Talk turned to the party on Saturday, and Dennis promised he would stay around for that. He wanted to be there when his niece officially closed her first case.

The next day, Nancy and Carson went with Dennis to the police station to get a full confession from the Moreaus. Nancy dressed up in her Audrey Hepburn costume again, and scared Gayle so much that she revealed everything. She was furious when Nancy took off her wig and costume, but Dennis had all the information he needed, including the family's hiding place for all their loot. Nancy, Carson, Dennis, Hannah, and even Togo, spent the rest of the day celebrating.

When Friday came around, Nancy became restless. Sure, there was one more day until they dug up the will, but there was nothing else to do. She had already looked at the map to find the heart of the park and found that an apple tree was situated there. She had texted the Hardys to see if they could chat, but they requested that she not call or text them until they said they were in the clear. They had just started on a new mystery and didn't want their phones going off while they were investigating. Nancy understood, but she really wanted to talk to them and thank them for all their help. That just left Bess and George.

"Nancy!" Bess squealed into Nancy's ear, making her pull back and wince.

"Bess, that was my ear!" berated Nancy.

"Sorry, but it's been so long since we've heard from you last!"

Nancy chuckled. "I know, five days is such a long time. Is George there?"

"Yes, hang on a second." Bess was gone for a moment before her and George's voices came back on the phone. "We're here!"

"What's up?" asked George.

Nancy told them everything that had happened so far, ending with telling them about the party on Saturday. "I'm going to have the four main inheritors dig it up. I still have the key, but I really want them to be a part of this, especially the real Richard Topham."

"Man, you're having so much fun! While we have to partake in this boring family reunion," blurted George.

"She's having fun? George, she's been impersonated, chased, and kidnapped! How is any of that fun?"

George scoffed. "It's certainly a lot more fun than having to listen to Great-Aunt Harriet's stories about the good ole days."

"OK, I'll give you that. But Nancy was still in danger!"

"Hey, Frank told her to have back-up, and she listened. Sounds like Jenny and Helen did a fantastic job of having her back. Speaking of, I would like to meet this Jenny Archer."

"And I bet Ida and Isabel Topham are great!"

Nancy chuckled. "Well, I'll be sure to introduce you as soon as you two get back. And I've only just now met Ida and Isabel, so I can't say. I will say they're a lot friendlier than Deirdre or Gwen Moreau, that's for sure."

"I think anyone is friendlier than Sore Loser Shannon," quipped George.

"Yeah, and it's the summer. Sore Loser Shannon is a problem that stays at school. I don't need her ruining anybody's summer."

"Well, she kinda already started ruining Nancy's remember?" George chuckled. "I did like that come-back though. 'Your mother doesn't do anything.' Ha-ha! Good for you, Nance!"

Nancy chuckled. "Thank you!"

"Bess, George, come on! Time to go!"

"Coming Mom!" said Bess. "Sorry Nance, we've got to go."

Nancy sighed. "Yeah, can't wait until you get back!"

George scoffed. "Neither can we. But thankfully it won't be long now. Our moms want to get back to check on Great-Uncle Asa. We haven't heard from him in a while."

"Well, at least I know you'll be back soon. But I was hoping we could talk practically all day. There's nothing left to do on the mystery or the treasure hunt, and I'm bored. Saturday can't come fast enough!"

But Saturday did finally come, and it was a beautiful day. Nancy went with Carson to pick up the real Jane Willoughby at the airport, and Nancy found her to be a perfectly lovely person. Everyone else had pretty much arrived by the time they got there. A cheer went up when Nancy entered the room. She felt slightly embarrassed at the praise. For one thing, the will wasn't in the hands of the inheritors yet, and for another, she didn't do this all by herself.

She raised her hands and the crowd quieted. "Thank you all so very much! But I didn't do this by myself. Helen Corning, Emily Crandall, Jenny Archer, and my own uncle, Dennis Keen, helped out a lot. I would also like to thank Frank and Joe Hardy for all of their help, even though they aren't here and are on another mystery." Dennis whooped. Nancy chuckled.

"Where's the will?" asked Helen. She glanced at Dennis who was holding four shovels. "And what's with the shovels?"

Nancy's eyes sparkled. "Mr. Topham, Mr. Archer, Miss Turner, and Miss Crandall, could each of you grab a shovel from my uncle and follow me please?" Each of them took a shovel from Dennis, Mary being the one to represent the Turners since Edna was holding Judy. Everyone followed Nancy out of the house and to the park. Nancy had called ahead to explain everything to the park officials, and a ranger was waiting for them at the gate. He tipped his hat at Nancy and stepped in line with her. They led the group to the apple tree.

The ranger turned to the four with the shovels. "I will keep an eye to make sure that you don't dig too deep or hit the roots. As soon as we've found the clock you are going to refill the holes, understand?" The four nodded. "Alright, start digging!" The four started digging with fervor, each at a different spot. The ranger would tap each one when they dug far enough and got them started on a different spot. Everyone watched in silent anticipation as the four dug around the tree. It was on Emily's third hole that everyone heard a distinctive thud.

"I think I found it!" Emily squealed. The other three rushed towards her and began digging.

"Nancy, be ready with the key!" shouted Jim. But Nancy was already pulling the key out of her purse as she rushed towards them. When there was a big enough of a hole, they could see that a small box lay in the hole. With the ranger's help, Jim and Richard pulled out the box. They pried open the lid and pulled out an old clock.

"Just like the ones Joisah gave us!" blurted Mary.

Nancy knelt down to look at the clock. "Well of course!" she said with a grin. "Joisah meant for all four of your to inherit his wealth, not just one!"

"But how do we unlock it?" asked Mary.

"The poems!" blurted Emily. "The four quarters! Um, twelve, six, three, and nine!"

"Let's try it!" Nancy put in the numbers and a little pop answered her as a drawer cracked open. Nancy opened it and found a small safe inside it.

"Just like the ones at the bank!" said Jim as Nancy inserted the key. The top popped open and Nancy reached in to pull out a wad of papers. Carson came forward and took the papers from her shaking hands. Carson cleared his throat and read the will. Josiah's money would be split four ways, each part going to one of the four inheritors and Riverview Manor would belong to the Tophams, provided that the four set aside some money to donate to Ariel Park and to WCHM from time to time. There were cheers and celebrations all around. Nancy found herself lost in thought. It was over now. Would she get another one real soon, like the Hardys did, or would she have to wait awhile? She hoped she wouldn't have to wait awhile, she only had so long before school started up again. What she didn't know was that she was going to get her wish soon, as there were still secrets to be found at Lilac Inn, but right now, she was caught up in the revelry heading back to Riverview Manor. And she couldn't help but notice the little glances between Richard Topham and Jane Willoughby, She smirked, a little romance would do them good. Helen would be gushing about it for the rest of the summer, that's for sure.

When they got into the manor, the inheritors all seemed to agree that Nancy should receive the fifth old clock as a reminder of all that she did for them. She accepted gracefully after some persuading. Later, as she lay in bed, looking at the clock on her desk with a smile, all she could of was, she had officially started as a detective and she couldn't wait to solve another mystery.

(AAAAHHH! The first book in my Nancy Drew rewrite series is complete! Look for Nancy's return in January! Or February, depending on how things go. Now, a couple real quick announcements. I'm creating a new pen name, Jane Vyne, or Jane Evanthia Vyne if Jane Vyne is already in use, for some Sims 4 related stories. It has already been created for Wattpad and AO3, still deciding if I want to do it for here as well. The stories have not been written yet as this month I'm focusing on a couple of other things, but if you play the Sims 4 game and would like to read some of the ideas I've come up with or take a look through my builds on the gallery, that would be the name to follow. Now, the second announcement has to do more with letting people know my thoughts as I continue watching the Nancy Drew series on CW, but after the most recent episode, I might not stick around for long. I have another story called Stratemeyer Shorts, and I planned to write short snippets about the characters in between mysteries. That also means all the other mystery series I want rewrite, not just Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys. It would include Tom Swift Jr. Cherry Ames, Beverly Gray, Connie Blair, Bret King, the Dana girls, Biff Brewster, and a whole bunch of others. Yeah, I've piled too much on my plate, as always, lol. But the point is, if you're interested in hanging aroudn to see my thoughts on the Nancy Drew series, go check out Stratemeyer Shorts. Now onto my thoughts on Episode #5. The ghost stuff needs to go, like, three episodes ago. It's becoming very detrimental to the story. They are trying too hard to blend their favorite ghost aspects with a mystery series that never had it, and it is not blending very well. Some might say otherwise, but it's losing my interest fast. Now don't get me wrong, there are excellent mysteries that involve the supernatural, this just isn't cutting even close. And when the only good part of this episode was the last five minutes? Yeah, I don't want to waste my time watching practically an entire episode of plot convenient ghost lore for just a few minutes of clue-finding. And based on the title of the next episode, we're not out of the ghost stuff just yet. Whoopie. It's really bad when this show has only had one fantastic episode out of five so far. Those numbers are not good and its going to cost these guys the show unless they get off their high horse and give us some good writing. Anyway, thank you so much for reading my Nancy Drew fanfic! Can't wait to bring her and the Hardys back in January/February! Bye!)


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